theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support local authorities in providing (a) warm spaces and (b) cool spaces in local areas. \p Alison McGovern: The Spending Review provides over £5 billion of new grant funding over the next three years for local services that communities rely on. This includes £3.4 billion of new grant funding which will be delivered through the Local Government Finance Settlement within financial years 2026-27 to 2028-29. The £3.4 billion, when taken together with a 3% core council tax referendum principle and a 2% adult social care precept, results in a 2.6% real terms average annual increase in Core Spending Power over the Spending Review period.

The government is committed to reforming the way in which local government is funded to return the sector to a sustainable position and target funding to the places who need it most.  By fixing these foundations, the sector will be better placed to invest in and drive local growth.

The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of (a) the cyber-security of services provided to the Government by Global Switch, (b) the potential implications of its Chinese ownership for national security and (c) the decision of the Australian Government to stop using the company. \p Kanishka Narayan: We do not comment on specific national security cases or specific companies.

Ensuring the security of UK data is a priority for the government. When the government procures any service, cybersecurity is a paramount requirement. Government departments conduct thorough cybersecurity checks on all suppliers before sharing data and continuously monitor their compliance with these requirements throughout the contract's duration. If there is evidence of threats to our data, including in relation to data centres, we will not hesitate to take the necessary action to protect our national security.

We have taken decisive action to monitor, and mitigate, potential future threats to data centres. Last year this Government designated data centres as Critical National Infrastructure, putting them on a level footing with emergency services systems. We work closely with industry to understand risks and manage threats to the UK’s infrastructure.

We do not comment on the security decisions of other governments.
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Dr Ben Spencer:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what government services faced disruption as a result of the Amazon Web Services outage on Monday 20 October; and what assessment her Department plans to make of the cost to the economy of that service outage. \p Ian Murray: Many government departments use AWS services, and we are aware that the Home Office, DVLA, DWP and HMRC all experienced impacts as a result of the outage on Monday 20 October.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is working with both departments and AWS to better understand the impacts, and will use this to inform future work on government digital resilience.

The cost of the outage is not yet known.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to help improve broadband (a) speed and (b) quality in underserved areas; and how his Department plans to (i) monitor and (ii) report on progress. \p Kanishka Narayan: According to the independent website, Thinkbroadband.com, 89% of premises in the UK have access to a gigabit-capable broadband connection. Our goal is for nationwide gigabit coverage by 2032, ensuring at least 99% of UK premises can access a gigabit-capable connection.

As part of Project Gigabit, the government’s programme to deliver gigabit-capable broadband to UK premises that are not included in suppliers' commercial plans, more than £2.4 billion of contracts have already been signed to connect over one million more premises with gigabit-capable broadband.

Building Digital UK (BDUK) reports on delivery progress through its annual report and quarterly official statistics. BDUK has also committed to publishing monthly reports on how many premises are contracted and built under each of its gigabit contracts.
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Dame Chi Onwurah:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the resilience of Government Digital Services to outages. \p Ian Murray: In the 2025 State of Digital Government review, cyber security and digital resilience risks were identified as critically high across the public sector, and we are taking immediate action to make Government services more secure, resilient and reliable.

Government has a robust set of policies that ensure there are well-defined and tested incident management processes in place, providing continuity of essential functions in the event of system or service failure.

Furthermore, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) will publish the Government Cyber Action Plan this Winter, which sets out a clear approach for Government and the public sector to manage cyber security and resilience incidents.
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Chris Bloore:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to help ensure that the personal data of UK citizens held by UK companies but stored on US-based servers is protected from access under (a) the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT) Act of 2001 and (b) other US legislation; and whether he plans to take steps to increase data sovereignty protections. \p Ian Murray: Under UK data protection laws, UK organisations must ensure personal data is appropriately protected when transferred internationally. The UK has an adequacy decision for certain transfers to the US, which assessed US government access laws and practices. Where adequacy cannot be relied upon, organisations must use alternative safeguards, such as contractual clauses.

The UK believes complex issues like data security and digital governance are best addressed through transparent, inclusive multi-stakeholder engagement. The UK remains committed to working with international partners via recognised global mechanisms to promote shared understanding and responsible behaviours, while supporting UK-based data-driven businesses to innovate and grow.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what measures the Government Digital Service has in place to continue to run critical services in the event of a major internet outage. \p Ian Murray: The Government Digital Service (GDS) builds resilient critical services by operating these across multiple locations or dispersed geographies.

This underlying redundancy reduces the chance of a major outage impacting service availability.  GDS uses third-party products to build and operate our services, these are covered by contractual service-level agreements.

Whilst GDS depends on the overall stability of internet networks and availability of key providers, both service teams and the organisation actively manage business continuity plans in consideration of these factors and our technical systems and operations.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the security of A2P messaging used for two-factor authentication by gov.uk websites. \p Ian Murray: Security is a key priority for all government services, alongside accessibility and inclusion (i.e. points 4, 5 and 9 of the Service Standard). There isn't a cross-government standard or mandate, as use of A2P depends on the particular needs and user base of individual services. While there are more secure methods of 2FA / MFA, use of A2P for 2FA significantly reduces the risk of account compromise and ensures the widest compatibility and usability across all user bases.

Though we note that the NCSC has affirmed it's acceptable as a second factor in certain cases.
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Dame Caroline Dinenage:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of (a) the adequacy of the level of pricing transparency of fixed term mobile and broadband contracts; and (b) the impact of this on people (i) experiencing financial difficulty and (ii) with mental health conditions when they enter the negotiation process at the end of those fixed term contracts. \p Kanishka Narayan: Affordability and transparency of telecoms services is important for Government and something we are keeping an eye on. The department monitors the market and consults stakeholders who conduct relevant research, including Ofcom, the independent regulator of telecommunications, and Citizens Advice.

In 2022, Ofcom introduced a requirement for providers to give new customers a one-page summary of their contract before signing, clarifying terms and price changes.

Operators are required under Ofcom’s General Conditions (C5) to follow guidelines on treating vulnerable consumers fairly, including for those facing financial or mental health challenges.
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Jenny Riddell-Carpenter:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking through the Building Digital UK programme to improve broadband access in rural areas; and what assessment she has made of the adequacy of progress towards achieving universal gigabit-capable coverage in communities most at risk of digital exclusion. \p Kanishka Narayan: Project Gigabit is the government’s programme to deliver gigabit-capable broadband to UK premises that are not included in suppliers' commercial plans.

According to the independent website, Thinkbroadband.com, 89% of premises in the UK already have access to a gigabit-capable broadband connection. To extend this further and achieve our goal of 99% coverage by 2032, more than £2.4 billion of Project Gigabit contracts have already been signed to connect over one million more premises with gigabit-capable broadband.

These are premises that fall predominantly in rural areas, many of which may otherwise be at risk of digital exclusion due to lack of access to a gigabit-capable broadband connection via commercial delivery.

Building Digital UK (BDUK) reports on delivery progress through its annual report and quarterly official statistics. The latest annual report was published on 23 October 2025.
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Charlotte Cane:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 80133 on Science: Research, when she plans to take steps with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on a coordinated approach for science centres. \p Kanishka Narayan: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 20 October 2025 to Question UIN 80133. The Government recognises the important role science and discovery centres play in engaging the public with science and inspiring young people. Minister Vallance has written to DCMS to explore a coordinated approach.
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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure the UK is a global hub for (a) relocation and (b) investment by generative artificial intelligence firms seeking to license creative content legitimately. \p Kanishka Narayan: We are supporting the growth of a globally competitive AI sector in the UK and ensuring that the UK is the destination of choice for leading AI firms.

Since July 2024, £44 billion has been invested in UK AI and tech. A further £31 billion has been committed by leading AI firms, including Microsoft, NVIDIA, Google, OpenAI and CoreWeave. The UK-US Tech Prosperity Deal announced in September further strengthens our position as a destination of choice for AI investment and relocation.

As set out in the Industrial Strategy Creative Industries sector plan, we will establish a Creative Content Exchange to be a trusted marketplace for selling, buying, licensing, and enabling permitted access to digitised cultural and creative assets.
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Dr Ellie Chowns:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the number of people who have been unable to verify their identity using the Gov.uk One Login service due to mismatches with third-party data; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure that legitimate (a) company directors and (b) Persons of Significant Control are not required to pay private verification providers when Government systems fail to recognise them. \p Ian Murray: GOV.UK One Login applies high standards for identity verification to prevent fraud and ensure the security of users and government services. GOV.UK One Login must ensure users meet these high standards before accessing a government service to fulfil its role.   Services onboarded to GOV.UK One Login are required to provide an alternative route for users unable or unwilling to verify their identity through the service. The alternative route is determined by the individual service. The Companies House alternative route is via Authorised Corporate Service Providers (ACSPS). Companies House do not regulate ACSPs and fees are set at the discretion of individual ACSPs.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the ContractFinder entry entitled Disinformation Analysis Software awarded to Storyzy, award date 1 July 2025, for what reasons does her Department use this software. \p Kanishka Narayan: DSIT leads the operational response to information threats by analysing narratives and trends from publicly available information online, within its ministerially defined remit - public safety or national security risk to the UK.

This does not include the monitoring of individuals.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking reduce the level of unused floorspace in civil service buildings. \p Anna Turley: The Government Property Agency (GPA) is addressing unused floorspace by strategically reducing the overall size of the estate through consolidation and lease management, while simultaneously optimising the use of remaining space by adopting Smarter Working principles and leveraging technology for better utilisation.
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John McDonnell:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to ensure that data relating to new civil service starters that is shared between Departments is based on formal trade union recognition rights and not general eligibility for union membership. \p Anna Turley: Data on new Civil Service starters is not routinely shared between departments. Trade union recognition rights within the Civil Service should be agreed by both the department and its recognised trade unions in the form of a framework agreement.

This is delegated to departments to negotiate with their recognised trade unions.
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Sir James Cleverly:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Answer of 21 July 2025 to Question HL9153 on Deputy Prime Minister: Admiralty House, on what date was the last communication between the Cabinet Office and Westminster City Council in relation to the former Deputy Prime Minister's official residence in Admiralty House. \p Anna Turley: Engagement with Westminster City Council (WCC) regarding Council Tax is managed by the Government Property Agency (GPA).

The GPA last engaged with WCC regarding the former Deputy Prime Minister's official residence in Admiralty House on 29th July 2025.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether (a) the Social Mobility Commission and (b) Office for National Statistics classifies police officers as (i) working class. \p Josh Simons: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Questions of 21st October is attached.

Letter from the National Statistician (pdf, 140.1KB)
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the number of care workers working for less than the National Living Wage in Fylde constituency. \p Josh Simons: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 16th October is attached.

Letter from the National Statistician (pdf, 116.0KB)
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Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the award of Contract_17123 for the Test, Learn and Grow Strategic Delivery Partner, what portion of the contract is retained by Bloom Procurement Services Ltd in (a) management fees, (b) commission and (c) administrative charges. \p Chris Ward: The Cabinet Office appointed Bloom Procurement Services Ltd as a Strategic Sourcing Partner for the Professional Services Category in September 2023, under the previous government. A Managed Services Fee of 5% is applicable for all Work Orders procured through this framework.

The Cabinet Office procured this contract following a full options analysis and value for money exercise of all potential routes to market.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what measures his Department has in place to continue to run critical services in the event of a major internet outage. \p Dan Jarvis: Government has a robust set of policies in place to ensure there are well- defined and tested incident management processes in place, and to ensure continuity of essential functions in the event of system or service failure.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology will publish the Government Cyber Action Plan this Winter, which will set out a clear approach for the Government and the Wider Public Sector to manage cyber security and resilience incidents.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Government Response to the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament Report on Iran, published on 4 September 2025, what is the timetable for the review on vetting policy by the Government Security Group. \p Dan Jarvis: Security vetting policy and processes are kept under constant review by the Government Security Group (GSG) in the Cabinet Office. This ongoing review is designed to ensure security vetting policy and processes are fit for purpose, to provide the greatest possible assurance for all individuals, including parliamentary staffers.
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Gareth Snell:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many and what proportion of Government Car Service cars were manufactured in the UK. \p Dan Jarvis: 40 cars were manufactured in the UK which represents 37% of the current Government Car Service fleet.
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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to improve public preparedness for emergencies. \p Dan Jarvis: Advice for the general public on how to prepare for emergencies is published at GOV.UK/Prepare, which provides simple and effective steps that individuals, households and communities can take to be more prepared for a range of emergencies.

The Prepare website was included in the message sent to tens of millions of mobile devices across the country in September as part of the successful test of the Emergency Alerts systems.

The Government is currently considering what further public communications activities might support improvements to public preparedness for emergencies. We published the first annual UK Public Survey of Risk Perception, Resilience and Preparedness in July 2025. The results are being used to inform the development of future public preparedness communications and to monitor trends.
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Derek Twigg:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he plans to respond to Question 78005 on Christopher Berry and Christopher Cash, tabled on 10 October 2025 by the hon. Member for Widnes and Halewood. \p Dan Jarvis: A response has been issued here.
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Derek Twigg:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, was China officially designated as a threat to national security by the UK Government when (a) the alleged offences of Christopher Berry and Chris Cash for spying for China took place and (b) when the CPS made a decision to prosecute. \p Dan Jarvis: The policy of the previous Government during the periods in question was set out in the Integrated Review (March 2021) and the Integrated Review Refresh (March 2023). The previous Government described China as an “epoch defining and systemic challenge”.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much council tax was paid by his Department on the Deputy Prime Minister’s flat in Admiralty House in each month since 4 July 2024. \p Anna Turley: Following the introduction of the second homes premium, this has been paid in full in a one-off full payment in July 2025. This payment was made by the Government Property Agency on the date the Notice was received from Westminster City Council.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Solicitor General, if she will publish legal advice provided to the Crown Prosecution Service on the case relating to the alleged breach of Official Secrets Act on behalf of China. \p Ellie Reeves: Decisions to prosecute are, rightly, made independently of Government by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

Consent was given by my predecessor on 3 April 2024. Following that date, no Law Officer intervened in the case at any stage.

Where a case can no longer proceed because of evidential reasons, as in this case, then the requirement is that the CPS informs the Attorney General of the decision as soon as it is taken.

The decision to offer no evidence was a decision made by the CPS, without any political influence, by the Attorney General or me, as the CPS has already confirmed.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Solicitor General, whether the law officers plans to seek to negotiate reforms of the European Convention of Human Rights at Council of Europe level. \p Ellie Reeves: As the Prime Minister has made clear, the United Kingdom will not withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights. To leave would be entirely contrary to this country’s national interest.

We need to work with our friends and partners in Europe to tackle all our major issues from irregular migration to combatting climate change. The solutions to these problems will not be met by isolating ourselves from our allies. But the status quo is not an option, and we are looking at various options to modernise our approach both domestically and internationally to the Convention.

As Chief Legal Advisors to Government, any advice that might be given by the Law Officers would be protected by the Law Officers’ Convention.
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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to implement the recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, published in October 2022. \p Jess Phillips: The Tackling Child Sexual Abuse Progress Update, published in April of this year, set out some of the actions we are driving forward across government to tackle all forms of child sexual abuse and exploitation. This includes an update on the response to the final recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.

Several of the commitments made in response to the Inquiry’s recommendations are being implemented through measures in the Crime and Policing Bill. This includes a mandatory duty to report child sexual abuse, the removal of the limitation period for child sexual abuse civil claims and reforms to the disclosure and barring service. The Government is also taking forward work to establish a new Child Protection Authority for England, with a consultation to be launched before the end of the year.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how the independent review of stalking laws will engage with (a) survivors, (b) survivor organisations and (c) experts. \p Jess Phillips: On Wednesday 22 October the Government announced that Richard Wright KC has been appointed to lead the independent Stalking Legislation Review.

The review will consider whether the criminal law on stalking needs to change to ensure the police and wider criminal justice partners have the clearest possible framework for effective identification, management and prosecution of stalking cases.

The views of victims and survivors will be at the heart of our approach. The review will engage with experts from specialist stalking charities, academia and across the criminal justice system alongside direct engagement with victims and survivors themselves.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will commission a review into the equality of protections for white British victims of hate crimes. \p Sarah Jones: The Government is determined to tackle all forms of hate crime wherever in the country it occurs, and whoever is responsible for committing it.

Race is already a protected characteristic in hate crime legislation in England and Wales - for example, the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 creates specific racially-aggravated offences, and defines a “racial group” as “a group of persons defined by reference to race, colour, nationality (including citizenship) or ethnic or national origins”, which covers white British individuals.

Accordingly, if someone commits a crime against a white British person and the perpetrator is motivated by - or demonstrates - racial hostility, the crime can be prosecuted as a hate crime. As such, the Government does not consider it necessary to commission a review into the equality of protections for white British victims of hate crimes.
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Ben Goldsborough:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has considered the potential merits of legislating to ensure that all crimes committed (a) on and (b) against a designated heritage site are provided with a single heritage crime recording code. \p Sarah Jones: Legislation is not required to introduce a specific crime recording code within the Home Office Counting Rules for police recorded crime.

At present, one offence relating to designated heritage sites damage to certain ancient monuments under Section 28 of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 is recorded within the broader category of criminal damage.

There are no plans to introduce a separate recording code to disaggregate ‘heritage crime’ from the broader range of offences which may be committed at designated heritage sites in addition to damage, including crimes such as theft. This is because, in introducing new categories, consideration needs to be given to the insight such additional data will yield when compared to the additional administrative burden it will place on police forces. Unless such incidents are investigated by specialist heritage crime officers, it is unlikely that most investigating officers will know whether a damaged site is a scheduled heritage site or be aware of the need to record such incidents under such specific codes.
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Nigel Huddleston:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department was first alerted to the possibility of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans being banned from the fixture against Aston Villa on 6 November 2025. \p Sarah Jones: West Midlands Police did not notify the department of it's risk assessment findings. Planning for football matches is considered and decided locally by Safety Advisory Groups which are operationally independent of Government and assess the risks and safety for the public. Home Office Officials were notified on 2 October 2025 by the UK Football Policing Unit of the options under consideration to allow the upcoming UEFA Europa League match between Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv to proceed safely.

The department was not informed of the final decision until it was in the public domain.
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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of creating a single firearms licensing authority for England and Wales. \p Sarah Jones: The Government has no plans to introduce a single firearms licensing authority. The Firearms Act 1968 places statutory responsibility for firearms licensing on the Chief Officer of Police of each individual force in England, Wales and Scotland. This framework is supported by Statutory Guidance to Chief Officers of Police issued by the Home Secretary in respect of firearms licensing, and by Authorised Professional Practice issued by the College of Policing.
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Ben Goldsborough:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of making training on the theft of heritage metal a mandatory requirement for acquiring a scrap metal dealer licence. \p Sarah Jones: This Government recognises the distress and disruption that heritage theft can cause to local communities.

The Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 was introduced to reduce metal theft by strengthening regulation of the scrap metal industry. The Act requires scrap metal dealers to obtain a licence from their local authority and to verify the identity of those selling the scrap metal.

We do not currently plan to introduce a mandatory requirement for training. However, our supplementary guidance makes clear that scrap metal dealers must understand the legal obligations of holding a scrap metal dealer’s licence, and may wish to undertake training to ensure they understand the requirements they must comply with under the Act. The licensing authority may take training into account when considering whether an applicant is a suitable person to hold a licence.

More broadly, we have supported the work of Historic England which leads on a number of initiatives to tackle heritage crime, particularly theft of metal from church roofs and other buildings primarily in rural locations. Historic England also works with the National Infrastructure Crime Reduction Partnership to provide training to scrap metal dealers on how to identify heritage metal which may have potentially been stolen, and provides guidance to assist in the identification of specialist metals.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-29 conversation_263

Suella Braverman:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if the Government will meet with the family of Sir David Amess to discuss the potential merits of a public inquiry into his murder; and what recent assessment has been made of the potential merits of such an inquiry. \p Dan Jarvis: Prevent has been an integral part of our counter-terrorism machinery for the last twenty years, supporting over 5,000 people away from radicalisation since the introduction of the Prevent duty in 2015.  Of course, we must continue to identify where Prevent has failed. However, significant improvements have been made to Prevent over the years since this Prevent case, and we continue to drive further change.

The Prevent Learning Review and Lord Anderson’s review were both published by Government earlier this year, and can be found on GOV.UK (Prevent learning review: Sir David Amess attack - GOV.UK and Lessons for Prevent - GOV.UK). These show clearly where Prevent, policing and law enforcement partners must take action to strengthen their approach. Lord Anderson’s review in particular sets out the position in relation to Prevent and the Security Service and identifies some key areas of focus for further review.

Sir David Amess was a valued colleague and a friend to many, and it is right that we seek to ensure such a terrible loss cannot happen again. The Home Secretary and I will work closely with the reviewer conducting the further overarching review to ensure that every avenue has been explored. It is important that the voice of the family is central to this process, and the Home Secretary will ensure they are kept up to date with the progress of the review.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-29 conversation_264

Suella Braverman:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what social media checks were carried out on Ali Harbi Ali (a) during and (b) after his involvement with the Prevent programme. \p Dan Jarvis: Prevent has been an integral part of our counter-terrorism machinery for the last twenty years, supporting over 5,000 people away from radicalisation since the introduction of the Prevent duty in 2015.  Of course, we must continue to identify where Prevent has failed. However, significant improvements have been made to Prevent over the years since this Prevent case, and we continue to drive further change.

The Prevent Learning Review and Lord Anderson’s review were both published by Government earlier this year, and can be found on GOV.UK (Prevent learning review: Sir David Amess attack - GOV.UK and Lessons for Prevent - GOV.UK). These show clearly where Prevent, policing and law enforcement partners must take action to strengthen their approach. Lord Anderson’s review in particular sets out the position in relation to Prevent and the Security Service and identifies some key areas of focus for further review.

Sir David Amess was a valued colleague and a friend to many, and it is right that we seek to ensure such a terrible loss cannot happen again. The Home Secretary and I will work closely with the reviewer conducting the further overarching review to ensure that every avenue has been explored. It is important that the voice of the family is central to this process, and the Home Secretary will ensure they are kept up to date with the progress of the review.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-29 conversation_265

Gregory Stafford:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to ensure that (a) the Border Force and (b) UK national security agencies are aware of the identities of high-risk individuals released in prisoner exchanges in the Middle East. \p Dan Jarvis: The Home Secretary has not had any engagement with Israeli authorities to discuss these matters. Since October 2023, a specialist team of experts from the FCDO have been providing support to family members in the UK and Israel. Officials have offered support to the hostage families forum, including through ministerial and senior official engagement.

We have also connected the families with specialist agencies and organisations that can offer practical and psychological support, including FCDO-funded partner Hostage International.

The Home Office uses various tools to detect and disrupt travel by terrorists, by criminals and by individuals excluded from the UK; previously deported from the UK; or using lost, stolen or revoked documents and visas. This includes the use of domestic and international watchlists.

It is a longstanding policy that HMG does not comment on the specific data held on the watchlist, how the data is used, or its source, as to do so would be harmful to the national security of the UK.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-29 conversation_266

Cameron Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help protect parliamentarians from espionage carried out by foreign intelligence services. \p Dan Jarvis: The Defending Democracy Taskforce works closely with Parliament and the Parliamentary Security Department (PSD), to raise awareness and strengthen the protection of our Parliamentarians and their teams against a range of threats including foreign interference and espionage.

As Chair of the DDTF, I wrote to all Members of Parliament in July to highlight the security offers available to them. On 13 October 2025, MI5’s National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) published guidance for Parliamentarians, other elected officials and their staff to ensure awareness of the steps they can take to better protect themselves and the institutions they work in from state threats.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-29 conversation_267

Dr Ellie Chowns:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Security Industry Authority’s (SIA) (a) licensing and (b) training requirements in ensuring that private security staff are appropriately (i) qualified and (ii) competent to manage safety and security risks; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure that SIA-approved training providers are effectively monitored to (A) prevent malpractice and (B) uphold training standards. \p Dan Jarvis: The private security industry plays a crucial role in keeping the public safe and it is critical that there is a high standard of regulatory oversight of the industry. The Security Industry Authority (SIA) provides such oversight by operating the regulatory regime set up by the Private Security Industry Act 2001 (PSIA).

This includes setting minimum standards for, and ensuring individuals seeking to work in designated roles have completed, mandatory training, as well as running criminal record and other checks. This aims to ensure that SIA licence holders are ‘fit and proper’ individuals who have the relevant skills and knowledge needed to perform their role. The SIA is currently conducting a 5 year review of training standards to ensure skills keep pace with emerging threats, and will be working closely with experts and the industry on this.

Training providers and qualification awarding bodies are regulated by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) and its partner organisations in Scotland and Northern Ireland. The SIA is working closely with these partners to share intelligence, conduct more inspections and improve systems in order to uphold the integrity of qualifications.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-29 conversation_268

Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's Prevent learning review, whether her Department plans to change to the definition Islamic terrorism to international terrorism. \p Dan Jarvis: The Independent Review of Prevent recommended that the Government should keep the current terminology to describe Islamist and Extreme Right-Wing ideology to ensure language was accurate and accessible.

The Government has accepted this recommendation and will retain the current terminology. The UK’s counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST, is kept under constant review to ensure our approach remains fit for purpose in response to emerging risks and challenges.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-29 conversation_269

Sir Iain Duncan Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) the UK Government's recognition of a Palestinian State and (b) Jihadi public threats against Jews on the security of Synagogues; and what steps he is taking to increase levels of security.. \p Dan Jarvis: The UK has formally recognised Palestine to protect the viability of a two-state solution and to create a path towards lasting peace for the Israeli and Palestinian people. A two-state solution, with a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state led by a reformed Palestinian Authority, is the only path to lasting peace, free from the horrendous violence and suffering of the last two years.

This Government is firmly committed to protecting the right of individuals to freely practise their religion at their chosen place of worship, and to ensuring the safety of our streets and communities. We recognise that recent incidents have heightened concerns about the safety of Jewish communities and places of worship, as well as those from other faiths. We take these concerns seriously and continue to work with closely with the police to assess threats and review the protections in place for communities.

The Community Security Trust has been allocated £28 million in 2025/26 through the Jewish Community Protective Security (JCPS) Grant, which provides protective security measures at synagogues, Jewish educational establishments and community sites. This includes additional emergency funding of £10 million announced by the Prime Minister following the horrifying terrorist attack at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue for more security staff and equipment, such as CCTV, alarms and floodlights, at Jewish sites.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-29 conversation_270

Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of people that entered the UK under the Gaza medical evacuation scheme have applied for asylum. \p Mike Tapp: The information requested is not available from published statistics. Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the code of practice for statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, the resources required to compile the statistics, as well as quality and availability of data.