theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

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Dr Roz Savage:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had discussions with the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) on its compliance with Section 9.4 of the IOPC Statutory Guidance, published on 1 February 2020; and what guidance her Department has issued on whether the IOPC has discretion to decline to investigate matters that fall within the mandatory referral criteria. \p Sarah Jones: The IOPC has powers to issue statutory guidance under section 22 of the Police Reform Act 2002 to local policing bodies, the 43 Home Office territorial police forces in England and Wales and other law enforcement bodies, such as the National Crime Agency. Paragraph 9.4 of this guidance is directed not at the IOPC but at such police forces and bodies (known as “appropriate authorities”). Paragraph 9.4 places a requirement on them to “notify the IOPC where concerns or issues arise after the initial referral that indicate the matter should be referred [to the IOPC] again” in line with mandatory referral criteria.

The 2002 Act itself sets out the requirements on the IOPC as to how should carry out its functions. It gives the IOPC discretion to decide whether it is necessary that cases that have been referred to it under the mandatory referral criteria should be investigated and, if so, how they should be investigated. For example, the IOPC can decide it is necessary for it to investigate a case independently itself or it can decide that the appropriate authority should do so on its own behalf or that the appropriate authority or another force should investigate as directed by the IOPC. Paragraph 15 of Schedule 3 of the 2002 Act specifically sets this out. Other requirements on the IOPC are set out elsewhere in the 2002 Act and in the Police (Complaints and Misconduct) Regulations 2020.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of reported incidents of (a) assault and (b) abuse against lone retail workers in each of the last three years. \p Sarah Jones: The Home Office publishes data on the number of incidents of violent crime and public order offences (including assaults and verbal abuse) recorded by the police in England and Wales. The latest data can be found here:

Police recorded crime and outcomes open data tables - GOV.UK

It is not currently possible to identify which of these incidents were committed against retail workers during the course of their work, as these incidents fall under categories of crime, such as assault.

In the Crime and Policing Bill, we are bringing forward a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores.

The offence will be allocated a specific Home Office Crime Recording Rule, which will help provide a more complete picture of the problem, in turn informing future policy decisions and enabling the police to respond accordingly.

The Home Office has also published estimates from the Commercial Victimisation Survey (CVS) on the proportion of retail premises which experienced at least one incident of assault or threat. This data can be found here, and includes those premises which did not report the incident to the police: Crime against businesses statistics - GOV.UK
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to amend the (a) funding and (b) qualifying spending for Party Political Conference Security Grants. \p Sarah Jones: The Party Political Conference Security Grants funding arrangements were outlined in 2016 by the Home Office for the party in power and the main opposition party. These principles have been adhered to since and the Home Office has regular engagement with parties about security planning for party conferences.

The UK government’s security system is rigorous and proportionate. It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, including disclosure of costs, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect future security operations.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

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Kirsteen Sullivan:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle increasing levels of freight crime; and if she will meet with (a) the Road Haulage Association and (b) other relevant stakeholders to increase awareness of the danger of unsafe parking. \p Sarah Jones: This Government understands the significant and damaging impact freight crime has on businesses and drivers and we are aware of worrying increases in its frequency.

We work closely cross-Government to tackle the problem. The Minister for Police and Crime Prevention recently met with Rachel Taylor MP, and Lilian Greenwood, Minister for the Future of Roads at the Department for Transport (DfT) to discuss this very matter. Parking for HGVs is led by the Department of Transport. The DfT also hosts the Freight Council; this group regularly discusses crime against freight companies, and the Home Office works closely with DfT to engage with the sector on this issue through the Freight Council.

There are strong links between freight crime and serious organised crime, which is a major threat to the national security and prosperity of the UK and estimated to cost the economy at least £47 billion annually.

This Government is committed to tackling serious and organised crime in all its forms. We work closely with Opal, the police’s national intelligence unit focused on serious organised acquisitive crime, which has multiple thematic desks, including a vehicle crime intelligence desk which covers freight crime.

We will continue to work with law enforcement agencies and other invested stakeholders to change the unacceptable perception that freight crime is low risk and high reward and find solutions which will tackle it.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

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Rachael Maskell:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on trends in the number of (a) hate crimes and (b) instances of racism in communities that have not (i) taken flags down and (ii) removed graffiti. \p Sarah Jones: The Home Office publishes official statistics on hate crime offences recorded by the police in England and Wales. The latest release, including information on trends, can be found here: Hate crime, England and Wales, year ending March 2024 - GOV.UK

The Home Office does not hold information on whether flags or graffiti were present or removed from the communities the offences took place in.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

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Liz Jarvis:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to protect (a) children and (b) young people from online sextortion. \p Sarah Jones: To tackle the growing threat of sextortion, the Home Office is funding law enforcement capabilities to combat this crime, such as through investment in the National Crime Agency (NCA), who use their unique capabilities to disrupt the highest harm offenders, including those based overseas. The NCA is also a member of the Virtual Global Taskforce, which is an international alliance of 15 dedicated law enforcement agencies working together to tackle the global threat from all forms of child sexual abuse.

The Home Office also invests in a network of Undercover Online Officers in Regional Organised Crime Units to disrupt high harm offenders, including those seeking to groom or otherwise manipulate children into sharing sexual images.

The Online Safety Act protects citizens – especially children – from abuse and harm and applies to companies that provide user-to-user services and search services. It places robust duties on tech companies to prevent and swiftly remove illegal content, including child sexual abuse material, and to take proactive steps to protect children from harm. The strongest protections in the Act are for children.

Where a company fails to protect users, Ofcom will have a suite of enforcement powers such as issuing fines of up to 10% of their revenue and business disruption measures including blocking companies.

The Government will continue to engage with social media companies to make it clear they must act and implement robust detection measures to prevent their platforms being safe spaces for criminals.

This Government will continue to proactively review legislation, and we will not hesitate to legislate further to ensure the protection of children online.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

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Alex Mayer:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to prevent the resale of stolen mobile phones in (a) Bedfordshire, (b) Cambridgeshire and (c) Suffolk. \p Sarah Jones: The Home Secretary has been clear that tackling mobile phone theft and the resale of stolen devices is a priority.

Earlier this year the Home Secretary brought together police, the National Crime Agency, the Mayor of London, leading tech companies and others to drive greater collaboration in breaking the business model of mobile phone thieves. The Summit resulted in clear commitments from attendees to work in partnership, including work to disrupt the resale of stolen phones, exploring technological solutions to make devices harder to re-register or resell, and working with the police to better understand the routes used to sell stolen phones.

The Home Office is driving this work with the police and other stakeholders to tackle this criminality.

In addition, the Crime and Policing Bill includes a measure to give police the power to enter and search premises for stolen property that has been electronically geo-location tracked to those premises, where it is not reasonably practicable to obtain a warrant without seriously prejudicing the entry and search purpose. This power will support efforts to recover stolen phones before they can be resold.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

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Alicia Kearns:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of creating a (a) single, (b) centralised and (c) digitised firearms licensing body to replace the current system of 44 separate licensing authorities. \p Sarah Jones: The Government has no plans to introduce a new national body for firearms licensing. 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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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the oral contribution to the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam on 31 March 2025, Vol. 765, column 25, page 23, if she will update the House on developments in relation to arrests made at the Quaker meeting house in Westminster. \p Sarah Jones: Decisions relating to police operations, including arrests, are made independently by the police.

Ministers do not intervene in individual cases or operational matters, not because of any lack of concern, but to respect and uphold the principle of policing free from political influence.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

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Dr Allison Gardner:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the reduction in the post-decision move on period on levels of homelessness. \p Mike Tapp: We closely monitor the impact of all our policies, including the move on period, on the number and occupancy of asylum hotels, the overall costs of the asylum accommodation estate, the wider effect on local communities, and any pressures placed on local authorities and public amenities. We remain committed to working closely with our partners to identify improvements and make efficiencies in supporting newly recognised refugees move on from asylum accommodation.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Afghan Response Route was included within data published on the Afghan Resettlement Programme. \p Mike Tapp: Data on arrivals through the Afghan Resettlement Programme is published in the quarterly Immigration System Statistics. The first arrivals under the Afghan Response Route (ARR) came to the UK in July 2024. Data on the ARR was previously included as a subset of the ARAP data in the publication. As of the August 2025 release, the publication has included a separate breakdown for ARR arrivals, in table Hum_01 of the ‘Safe and legal (humanitarian) routes summary tables’. The latest data relate to June 2025. Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will prohibit the entry of Greta Thunberg to the UK on the basis of her support for Palestine Action. \p Mike Tapp: It is longstanding Home Office policy not to comment on individual cases.

Where a foreign national is seeking to enter or stay in the UK, in order to qualify they will be assessed by UK Visas & Immigration (or Border Force when presenting at the border) against a range of provisions in the current Immigration Rules relating to criminality and other adverse conduct and character prior to their entry to, and any previous time spent in, the UK. Failure to satisfy these criteria may mean their application for a visa, entry clearance, permission to enter or permission to stay will be refused, depending on the severity of past offences or other factors in their history.

Details of these criteria can be found in Part 9 of the Immigration Rules, available on the GOV.UK website here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-part-9-grounds-for-refusal.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

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Wendy Chamberlain:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will provide the (a) criteria and (b) arrangements for evacuating students from Gaza to the relevant (i) universities and (ii) hon. Members. \p Mike Tapp: I refer the Honourable Member to the previous Home Secretary’s oral statement to the House on 1 September 2025 on strengthening border security and reforms to the asylum system. Further details will be set out in due course.

The Home Office has put in place systems to issue expedited visas, with biometric checks conducted prior to arrival for all Chevening Scholars from Gaza.

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

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is doing everything it can to support their safe exit and onward travel to the UK. The situation on the ground in Gaza makes this extremely challenging.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

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Stephen Gethins:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to evacuate the dependents of students with UK scholarships as well as those students. \p Mike Tapp: The Government is prioritising those with fully-funded, verifiable, scholarships commencing in the autumn term. This decision has been made for these students due to their potential role in rebuilding Gaza in the future.

I refer the Honourable Member to the then-Home Secretary’s oral statement to the House of Commons on 1 September 2025 on strengthening border security and reforms to the asylum system. Further details will be set out in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

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Llinos Medi:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) allegations of non-fatal strangulation have been made that were not proceeded against and (b) cases for that offence were dropped due to evidence deficiencies since 29 April 2021. \p Sarah Jones: The Home Office collects information on the number of investigative outcomes for offences recorded by the police in England and Wales.

From 1st of June 2022, the subcodes ‘008/78 Racially or religiously aggravated non-fatal strangulation or suffocation’ and ‘008/77 non-fatal strangulation or suffocation’ were introduced.

The below table shows the number of these offences and their investigative outcomes.

Table – number of non-fatal strangulation offences2 recorded by the police in England and Wales1 (excluding Humberside police), 1st June 2022 to year ending March 2025, by outcome

Charged/Summonsed

14,016

Out-of-court (formal)

1,191

Out-of-court (informal)

723

Evidential difficulties (suspect identified; victim supports action)

20,712

Evidential difficulties (victim does not support action)

51,628

Prosecution prevented or not in the public interest

1,258

Investigation complete - no suspect identified

2,912

Further action undertaken by another body/agency

1,932

Further investigation resulting from the crime report that could provide evidence sufficient to support formal action being taken against the suspect is not in the public interest - police decision

450

Diversionary, educational or intervention activity, resulting from the crime report, has been undertaken and it is not in the public interest to take any further action

498

Not yet assigned outcome

5,629

Grand Total

100,949

Notes

The Home Office does not hold information on the number of allegations of non-fatal strangulation.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress she has made on apprehending Kevin Thomas Parle. \p Sarah Jones: Kevin Thomas Parle features on the NCA’s Most Wanted List. As this is a live investigation, it would be inappropriate to comment further.
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Kim Leadbeater:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to support local authorities in addressing unauthorised encampments that negatively affect local (a) high streets or (b) businesses. \p Sarah Jones: Local authorities and police have a range of powers to manage unauthorised encampments, including those affecting high streets and businesses. These include long-standing provisions under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, and additional powers introduced through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022.

The response to any unauthorised encampments is locally led, involving multi-agency collaboration between councils, police and other services, ensuring actions are tailored to local needs. Statutory guidance issued by the Home Office sets out how these powers should be applied, including the importance of considering welfare needs and ensuring enforcement is lawful, necessary and proportionate.

The 2022 Act also introduced a criminal offence for residing on land without consent in or with a vehicle and causing significant damage, disruption or distress. Penalties include up to three months’ imprisonment, a fine of up to £2,500, and/or vehicle seizure.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support is available for communities in the North East experiencing repeated incidents of arson. \p Sarah Jones: The Government is committed to tackling and preventing arson. We know the serious impact that arson can have on both individuals and the wider community.

We are committed to ensuring fire services have the resources they need to do their vital work and to keep the public safe from fires, including those caused by arson. Decisions on how their resources are best deployed to meet their core functions are a matter for each fire and rescue authority.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to increase arrests relating to mobile phone theft. \p Sarah Jones: Through our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee we will place thousands of additional police officers and police community support officers in neighbourhood policing roles to provide a more visible and effective service to the public, with each neighbourhood having a named, contactable officer dealing with local issues, including the theft of mobile phones and other personal items.

On 6 February the Home Secretary brought together police, the National Crime Agency, the Mayor of London, leading tech companies and others to drive greater collaboration in breaking the business model of mobile phone thieves. The Summit resulted in clear commitments from attendees to work in partnership, including to significantly boost the sharing of data and intelligence on mobile phone theft to build a comprehensive picture of the problem, better understand the role of organised crime networks and identify the most effective means of tackling these crimes.

In addition, the Crime and Policing Bill includes a measure to give police the power to enter and search premises for stolen property that has been electronically geo-location tracked to those premises, where it is not reasonably practicable to obtain a warrant without seriously prejudicing the entry and search purpose. This will significantly enhance the ability of the police to act swiftly and effectively.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

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Sir Ashley Fox:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of staff in her Department did not meet the minimum office attendance target in the latest period for which data is available; and what sanctions her Department issues to staff who do not meet this target. \p Sarah Jones: On 24 October 2024 the Cabinet Office announced that 60% minimum office attendance for most staff continues to be the best balance of working for the Civil Service. Senior managers will continue to be expected to be in the office more than 60% of the time. Home Office employees with disabilities and health conditions which impact their ability to travel to or work in the office have adjusted workplace attendance targets.

Details of these are not held centrally. If an employee consistently fails to attend the workplace in line with expectations this will ultimately become a disciplinary matter.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

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Siân Berry:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made a recent estimate of the value of the illegal drugs market for (a) cannabis, (b) cocaine, and (c) opioids. \p Sarah Jones: The most recent estimate of the value of the illegal drugs market for cannabis, cocaine and opioids is available as a part of the Dame Carol Black’s Independent Review of Drugs: Evidence Pack. This is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-drugs-phase-one-report

The evidence pack provides the following estimates for value of the illegal drugs market in England and Wales, measured by the amount spent on these drugs:

Opiates: £3.8bn
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

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Sir Ashley Fox:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of staff in her Department have flexible working arrangements; and how many of those work compressed hours. \p Sarah Jones: Flexible working arrangements, including compressed hours, are managed locally and therefore the requested information could only be obtained for the purposes of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
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Sarah Hall:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to section 8 of the Crime and Policing Bill, what guidance will be given to police forces on the circumstances in which a vehicle should be seized without warning. \p Sarah Jones: We are amending the Police Reform Act 2002 through the Crime and Policing Bill to allow the police to seize vehicles which are used in an anti-social manner without having to first give a warning to the offender, as is currently required in some circumstances.

We will work with the College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs’ Council to assess what guidance is required to forces on the implementation of these changes.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

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Richard Foord:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of providing protection and support during Donald Trump's visit to Scotland. \p Sarah Jones: We were delighted to welcome the President to the UK earlier this year. The visit supported our deep and enduring alliance with the United States, which is vital for both our economic and security interests.

As is the case for many visits from high profile individuals, the President’s visit was in part funded by the taxpayer.

It is right that the Government and policing partners take appropriate steps to ensure the safety of foreign dignitaries when on UK soil.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 6 June 2025 to Question 56675 on Hinchingbrooke Hospital: Roads, what progress she has made on completing the transaction that would see access to Police land granted to Hinchingbrooke Hospital for the new access road to facilitate construction of the proposed new hospital. \p Sarah Jones: This is a local matter. The Home Office has not had a direct role in discussions between the interested parties in relation to the ownership of this land and its use for a new access road to Hinchingbrooke Hospital.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential threat posed by Palestinian Martyrs for Justice. \p Dan Jarvis: The Government does not routinely comment on intelligence and security matters, including individual groups or cases.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

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Lee Pitcher:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to regulate the use of privately owned e-scooters involved in anti-social behaviour. \p Sarah Jones: Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for this Government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission. Our Crime and Policing Bill will give the police greater powers to clamp down on all vehicles, including e-scooters, involved in anti-social behaviour, with officers no longer required to issue a warning before seizing these vehicles.

On 28 May, the Government launched a six-week consultation on proposals to allow the police to more quickly dispose of seized vehicles such as e-scooters which have been used anti-socially. The consultation closed on 8 July and the Government response will be published in due course. Combined, these proposals will help tackle the scourge of vehicles ridden anti-socially by sending a clear message to would be offenders and local communities that this behaviour will not be tolerated.

There are various offences relating to e-scooter use that the police can enforce with a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN). Riding an e-scooter on the pavement can result in a FPN of £50.

The Government has made no decisions on micromobility regulation, however, resolving the longstanding problems and missed opportunities of micromobility, including e-scooters, is a priority for the Government.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

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Laura Kyrke-Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to (a) support retention in the police in England and (b) increase the number of police officers in Aylesbury constituency. \p Sarah Jones: In 2025/26, the Home Office is providing a total of up to £17.4 billion for police forces, which is an increase of up to £987 million compared to the 2024/25 police funding settlement. This includes a total of up to £376.8 million specifically to support officer maintenance at the expected headcount levels.

Thames Valley Police will receive up to £627.4 million in funding in 2025/26, an increase of up to £40.8 million when compared to the 2024/25 funding settlement, which represents a 7% cash increase and a 3.6% real terms increase in funding. This includes a total allocation of £10,662,824 to support the maintenance of 4,978 police officers (headcount).

As part of this, Thames Valley Police has been allocated a total of up and £6,093,042 to increasing neighbourhood policing roles, and, the projected growth for Thames Valley Police over 2025/26 will be 68 police officers (FTE) in neighbourhood policing roles.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

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Cameron Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to take steps to help tackle the dismissal of High Court injunctions relating to the development of traveller sites. \p Sarah Jones: It is for the independent courts to determine the lawfulness of individual injunctions. Local authorities and the police have a range of powers available to manage unauthorised encampments.

Statutory guidance issued by the Home Office sets out how these powers should be applied, including the importance of considering welfare needs and ensuring that any enforcement action is lawful, necessary and proportionate.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

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David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2025 to Question 65011 on Police: Finance, what estimate she has made of the total monetary value of council tax receipts from the police precept in England in (a) 2024-25 and (b) each subsequent year of the Spending Review, on which the increase in police spending power was calculated. \p Sarah Jones: The published total council tax receipts for policing 2024-25 and 2025-26 can be found below (£m):

2024-25

2025-26

Total value

5,650.0

6,057.6

Year-on-year increases

341.4

407.7

As set out in the Spending Review (SR) 2025 document, published 11 June 2025, the Phase 2 settlement provides an average 1.7% real terms increase per year in police spending power. Over the SR period, police spending power is projected to increase by an average 2.3% per year in real terms.

Police spending power includes projected spending from additional income, including estimated funding from the police council tax precept.

However, this remains subject to final decision on precept levels and individual police and crime commissioner decisions. The final police precept level and core government funding will be set out in the annual police funding settlement in the usual way.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

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Sarah Hall:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of trends in the level of (a) debt bondage and (b) tied visa arrangements among migrant care workers in the UK. \p Jess Phillips: To date the Home Office hasn’t made an assessment of trends in the level of (a) debt bondage and (b) tied visa arrangements among migrant care workers in the UK.

The Government has taken the decision to end overseas recruitment in Adult Social Care following significant abuse of the system and exploitation of workers. Thousands of workers have been displaced due to employer non-compliance, who continue to struggle to secure full time roles in the sector.
wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_50
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_50

Robert Jenrick:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he plans to publish the strategy to halve violence against women and girls within a decade. \p Jess Phillips: The scale of violence against women and girls in our country is intolerable and this Government is treating it as the national emergency that it is.

We are working tirelessly across Government to deliver the VAWG Strategy. It is vital that we get this right, and we are committed to publishing the Strategy as soon as possible.
wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_51
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_51

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 4 September 2025 to Question 74064 on Undocumented Migrants: English Channel, what is the end date of the pilot. \p Alex Norris: As set out in Article 22 (1) of the UK-France treaty, the end date of the pilot is 11 June 2026. Both the UK and France have committed to continually review and improve the process and effectiveness of the pilot, pending decisions on the long-term future of the arrangements after June 2026.

Further information on the UK-France treaty can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ukfrance-agreement-on-the-prevention-of-dangerous-journeys-cs-france-no22025.
wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_52
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_52

Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish a progress report for the antimicrobial resistance action plan following the completion of its first year. \p Ashley Dalton: The 2024 to 2029 UK National Action Plan (NAP) to confront antimicrobial resistance (AMR) was published on 8 May 2024. It is the second of four five-year NAPs that the Government committed to developing to deliver its 20-year vision that AMR is contained, controlled and mitigated by 2040.

The 2024 to 2029 NAP commits to publishing a short annual report summarising progress made against the NAP. The Government anticipates publishing the first of these reports shortly, which describes activity during the first year of the NAP programme.
wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_53
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_53

Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to page 12 of the policy paper entitled 10 Year Health Plan for England: fit for the future, published on 3 July 2025, what incentives will be provided for healthier choices. \p Ashley Dalton: The Department will shortly launch a market engagement process with business to inform the creation of the newly announced NHS Points digital scheme. This will include inviting views and evidence as to what types of incentives could be provided in return for healthier choices. The Department will consider what types of incentives are evidenced to have the greatest impact on driving positive behaviour change.
wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_54
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_54

Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of people who have been diagnosed with Tinnitus in the last 12 months. \p Ashley Dalton: The information requested is not held centrally.
wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_55
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_55

Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's publication entitled 10 Year Health Plan for England: fit for the future, published on 3 July 2025, what progress his Department has made on the digital-only delivery of weight loss (a) services and (b) treatments; and if his Department will publish further details on how it plans to test innovative models for those services and treatments. \p Ashley Dalton: We are committed to expanding access to weight management services through digital innovation and personalised pathways that support people in a way that best meets their needs.

The NHS Digital Weight Management Programme is the only nationally commissioned weight management service delivered entirely through digital means. As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, there is a clear commitment to expand access to this programme, including doubling referral volumes. The service went live in 2021, and active planning is now underway to deliver this expansion, which is expected to begin in 2026/27.

For pharmacological treatments such as tirzepatide, otherwise know as Mounjaro, for the management of obesity, NHS England is working with the Office for Life Sciences and other partners to develop digitally enabled care pathways supported by behavioural interventions and which place patient safety and clinical oversight at their core. This is part of the newly launched £85 million health innovation programme, in collaboration with Eli Lilly, to test novel delivery models for weight management. These include digital platforms, pharmacy-led services, and community-based access routes. The programme is designed to improve accessibility and reduce pressure on specialist services, whilst ensuring care is safe and aligned with national clinical standards.

These innovative pathways are being designed to bring together remote prescribing, personalised behavioural support, and ongoing clinical supervision, allowing patients to access high-quality care in a way that is convenient and tailored to their individual needs.
wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_56
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_56

Lizzi Collinge:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the use of covid vaccines on levels of (a) hospitalisations and (b) disability caused by long covid. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government is committed to protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 through vaccination as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The JCVI assessment indicates that the oldest age cohorts and individuals who are immunosuppressed are the two groups who continue to be at higher risk of serious disease.

To inform JCVI considerations, the last assessment of the impact of COVID-19 vaccines on hospitalisations was conducted by the UK Health Security Agency using data from the 2023 spring and autumn COVID-19 vaccination programmes. The next evaluation is planned to occur in the next few months.

Long term health consequences following COVID-19, including post-COVID syndromes such as long COVID, have been discussed at meetings of the JCVI. It remains uncertain whether getting extra COVID-19 vaccine doses has any effect on the chances of developing long COVID, how it progresses, or how it affects people.
wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_57
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_57

James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to increase the use of radiotherapy to help reduce local cancer treatment delays. \p Ashley Dalton: We will improve National Health Service waiting time performance, so patients are diagnosed faster and have quicker access to the treatments they require, including radiotherapy. However, we do recognise that there is much more to be done to ensure that this is the reality for all patients across the country.

Radiotherapy is vital in cancer care, and it remains a key priority for the Government to reduce radiotherapy waiting times and provide the highest quality of treatment available. This is why the Government has invested £70 million of central funding on 28 new radiotherapy machines across the country to replace older, less efficient radiotherapy machines.
wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_58
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_58

Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients with (a) leukaemia and lymphoma, (b) myeloma, (c) other cancers, (d) myelodysplastic syndromes, (e) aplastic anemia, (f) thalassemia, (g) bleeding disorders and (h) other conditions which require regular blood transfusions have developed haemolysis due to receiving a blood transfusion with unmatched blood in the last 12 months. \p Ashley Dalton: Serious Hazards of Transfusion (SHOT) is the United Kingdom’s independent, professionally led haemovigilance scheme. SHOT collects and analyses information on adverse events and reactions in blood transfusion from all healthcare organisations that are involved in the transfusion of blood components and specific blood products in the United Kingdom. Further information on SHOT is available at the following link:

https://www.shotuk.org/

The latest data available on haemolytic transfusion reactions was published in the Annual SHOT Report 2024. The report reviews reactions reported to SHOT from January to December 2024, and is available at the following link:

https://www.shotuk.org/shot-reports/annual-shot-report-2024/#annual-shot

Over the year, based on the available data, a total of 51 haemolytic transfusion reactions were reported. No errors were reported during the provision of blood components, meaning in all cases blood was appropriately matched, including safe substitutions where necessary, according to the patient requirements and clinical situation, as per British Society for Haematology’s guidelines, which are available at the following link:

https://b-s-h.org.uk/guidelines/guidelines
wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_59
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_59

Anna Gelderd:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to increase the availability of defibrillators in (a) South East Cornwall constituency and (b) other (i) rural and (ii) coastal areas. \p Ashley Dalton: To improve patients' survival rates following out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, the Government committed to improving access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. Following the depletion of the existing AED fund, launched in in September 2023, the Government approved a further £500,000 in August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the Fund.

Funding was allocated where there was the greatest need, for example, remote communities with extended ambulance response times, places with high footfall and high population densities, hotspots for cardiac arrest including sporting venues and venues with vulnerable people, and deprived areas. There are no plans to undertake further work on improving access or provide additional support for AEDs, in light of the rapid expansion of AEDs across the UK.

We recognise the important work the British Heart Foundation (BHF) has undertaken in identifying communities with limited access to a defibrillator. The BHF undertook this work as part of its 2025 community defibrillator fund programme. The BHF is urgently encouraging areas eligible to apply to its 2025 scheme to do so. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.bhf.org.uk/how-you-can-help/how-to-save-a-life/defibrillators/apply-for-a-free-defibrillator-for-your-community

Across the South West, there are currently over 12,000 public access defibrillators registered on The Circuit, with most being privately owned. Approximately 1,000 of these defibrillators are owned and managed by the South Western Ambulance Service (SWAST).

SWAST is working to improve the availability, accessibility and emergency readiness of all public accessible defibrillators across the South West. SWAST is currently contacting guardians of defibrillators which have not had a status check registered on The Circuit for more than three months. This proportion has, as a result, reduced from one third of all defibrillators to 17% over the past year.

SWAST is also working with all schools across the South West to encourage them to register their defibrillator on The Circuit, with 90% of schools across the South West now having a defibrillator registered, the highest percentage in the country. SWAST is also promoting the labelling of public access defibrillators using stickers produced by The Circuit to reduce the time taken for a defibrillator to return to its cabinet after allocation, reducing the time that it is unavailable.