theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Zarah Sultana:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment she has made of the (a) adequacy of the (i) provision of disabled toilets and (ii) systems that seek to ensure that only disabled people can access disabled toilets using RADAR keys and (b) effectiveness of (A) RADAR keys and (B) the National Key Scheme in offering disabled people independent access to locked public toilets. \p Alex Norris: This government has made no recent assessment of the adequacy of provision of wheelchair-accessible toilets. Research assessing layout and equipment of unisex wheelchair-accessible toilets has been published on GOV.UK but, as RADAR keys are not part of the regulated built fabric, research of their use was not included. RADAR keys involve a management oversight which goes beyond the powers and scope of the Building Act. The Building Act gives no powers to building control bodies over how buildings are operated post completion. RADAR keys are managed by building owners to serve the community of people able to access a RADAR key. The sale or use of RADAR keys is not a government backed scheme, nor is the design and use of RADAR keys an expectation of Part M of the Building Regulations. The functional requirement in Part M of the Building Regulations is for new building works to make reasonable provision for people to access and use a building and its facilities.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

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Stephen Gethins:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to provide support to homeowners impacted by reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete. \p Alex Norris: All building owners are responsible for managing building safety and performance risks of all kinds in their buildings, including reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), in a proportionate, risk-based, and evidence-based manner. To do so, they should continue to follow guidance published by the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) to identify, assess, and manage RAAC.

The issues with RAAC are longstanding and well known. Our current understanding, shared with the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), is that the prevalence of RAAC is low in housing and there have been no known incidents of RAAC panel failure in residential dwellings across the UK.

The BSR have a duty under the Building Safety Act 2022 to keep under review the safety and standards of all buildings in England. This includes monitoring risk and advising government on any action required.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how she will ensure that district councils are in agreement with county councils following the outcome of the 2025 May local elections in Devonshire. \p Jim McMahon: The government’s starting point is for all elections to go ahead in May 2025, unless there is strong justification for postponement. It is a matter for councils themselves to work together to develop plans and reach agreements that are in the interests of their communities.

On 16 December, I wrote to leaders of all councils in two-tier areas and neighbouring small unitary authorities to set out further detail on our plans for a joint programme of devolution and local government reorganisation. I acknowledged that for some areas, the timing of elections affects their planning for devolution, particularly alongside reorganisation, and to help manage these demands, we will consider requests to postpone local elections. I will only consider these requests where it is clear that postponement will help the area to deliver both reorganisation and devolution to the most ambitious timeframe. I am currently considering such a request from Devon County Council and a decision will be made in due course, recognising the need to give confirmation as soon as practically possible.

My 16 December letter is published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-government-reorganisation-letter-to-two-tier-areas.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which local authorities responded to her Department's letter of 16 December 2024 on local government restructuring to (a) express a formal interest and (b) request that May 2025 local elections be cancelled. \p Jim McMahon: I have welcomed the large number of areas that have responded to my letter of 16 December to recognise the benefits of mayoral devolution. A list of those county and unitary councils which have responded to my letter to make a request that involves postponing their May 2025 local elections can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-government-reorganisation-letter-to-two-tier-areas.
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Saqib Bhatti:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of plans to redistribute council tax on councils with lower rates of tax. \p Jim McMahon: The Government has no plans to redistribute council tax.
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Samantha Niblett:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department is taking steps with local authorities to remove the requirement for households on freehold estates to pay estate management charges, in the context of the New Homes Accelerator Programme. \p Matthew Pennycook: As set out in my Written Ministerial Statement of 21 November (HCWS244), the government remain committed to protecting residential freeholders on private and mixed-tenure housing estates from unfair charges. Next year we will consult on implementing the Act’s new consumer protection provisions for the up to 1.75m homes that are subject to these charges, and bring these measures into force as quickly as possible thereafter. These include ensuring that homeowners who pay an estate management charge have better access to information they need to understand what they are paying for, the right to challenge the reasonableness at the First-tier Tribunal (in England), and to go to the tribunal to appoint a substitute manager.

The New Homes Accelerator is a collaboration between the government, Homes England, the Greater London Authority, local authorities, developers and other key stakeholders. It aims to unblock and accelerate the delivery of housing developments that have for various reasons become delayed, or which are not progressing as quickly as they could be.
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David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to payments for the Homes for Ukraine scheme on (a) homelessness and (b) temporary accommodation. \p Alex Norris: The latest data on the number of thank you payments made between April 2024 and June 2024 is published here:

Before implementing the changes to thank you payments we fully considered the impact on homelessness. We recognise the importance of continued sponsorship for local authorities as a tool to ease pressures on the system, including on homelessness and temporary accommodation in local areas. Providing £350 a month to all sponsors means we are able to extend this support for 18-months under the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme, supporting guests to remain in sponsorship and reducing their risk of homelessness. Councils also continue to receive a tariff payment of £5,900 per Homes for Ukraine arrival, and councils have the flexibility to use this funding as best suits the local area which could include supporting guests to access privately rented accommodation.

We continue to closely monitor the homelessness pressures relating to Ukrainian homelessness and separately publish statistics here: Homelessness management information - Ukrainian nationals: England - GOV.UK.

Our Homes for Ukraine Equality Impact Assessment was updated to reflect MHCLG policy changes made. Potential environmental and all other impacts of the policy were also considered.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 6 January 2025 to Question HL3612 on Unitary Councils, what she classes as a small unitary authority. \p Jim McMahon: In writing to all two-tier areas, on publication of the English Devolution White Paper on 16 December, I also wrote to their neighbouring small unitaries as well to provide further detail on the Government's plans for local government reorganisation.
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James MacCleary:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to support communities with high levels of housing growth where necessary infrastructure is not in place; and if she will have discussions with Lewes District Council on the impact of house building targets in Ringmer. \p Matthew Pennycook: The National Planning Policy Framework sets out that the purpose of the planning system is to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development, including the provision of supporting infrastructure in a sustainable manner.

Local development plans should address needs and opportunities in relation to infrastructure and identify what infrastructure is required and how it can be funded and brought forward. When preparing a Local Plan, Planning Practice Guidance recommends that local planning authorities use available evidence of infrastructure requirements to prepare an Infrastructure Funding Statement. Such Statements can be used to demonstrate the delivery of infrastructure throughout the plan-period.

The government provides financial support for essential infrastructure in areas of greatest housing demand through the Housing Infrastructure Fund.

The changes to the National Planning Policy Framework announced on 12 December will support the increased provision and modernisation of various types of public infrastructure.

The government is also committed to strengthening the existing system of developer contributions to ensure new developments provide necessary affordable homes and infrastructure. Further details will be set out in due course.

Due to the quasi-judicial role of ministers in the planning system, it would not be appropriate for me to discuss the specific details of planning issues in Lewes District, but council officers may wish to contact officials at my department to discuss the general issues raised.
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Peter Fortune:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the accessibility of the Consultation: provisional local government finance settlement 2025 to 2026, published on 18 December 2024. \p Jim McMahon: The Ministry of Housing, Local Government and Communities published the 2025-26 provisional local government finance settlement and launched the consultation on its proposals on GOV.UK on 18 December 2024. The consultation closed on 15 January 2025.

Responses to this consultation were able to be submitted via email, letter, or the online survey conducted on MHCLG’s Citizen Space website which is linked on the 2025-26 provisional local government finance settlement GOV.UK webpage.

MHCLG ensures its consultation information meets the accessibility requirements for these websites. The accessibility statements for GOV.UK is here and for Citizen Space is here. This sets out what steps have been taken to make the website as accessible as possible, including for people who rely on assistive technology.
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Peter Fortune:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the accessibility of the consultation on Local audit reform: a strategy for overhauling the local audit system in England, published on 18 December 2024. \p Jim McMahon: The Department launched a statement of intent and consultation ‘Local audit reform: a strategy for overhauling the local audit system in England’ on GOV.UK on 18 December 2024.

As per the Government’s Publishing Accessible Documents guidance, the strategy uses accessible language to outline complex proposals and is published in both HTML and PDF formats to make it easier to read and find information. The digital survey for users to respond to the consultation is hosted on an accessible platform.

Officials are also engaging directly with key stakeholders as part of the consultation process.

Any queries on the consultation or any requests for an alternative format can be directed to the team at xxx@xxx.xx.
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Tom Tugendhat:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what will happen to existing Council debt following local government reorganisation. \p Jim McMahon: It is the responsibility of councils to manage their budgets, and it is standard for councils to borrow and to hold debt, which they will do in the normal course of business. Local government reorganisation does not change this. The government has a framework to support councils in financial difficulty. Previous Secretaries of State used statutory powers to intervene in a small number of councils failing their best value duty partly associated with high levels of unsustainable debt. We will continue to work with best value commissioners in these councils to support the councils’ financial recovery.
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Ben Goldsborough:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of single justice procedure convictions were for which recordable offences in the most recent year for which data is available. \p Sarah Sackman: There were no defendants dealt with for any recordable offences under single justice procedure in the 12 months between September 2023 and September 2024, which is the most recent year for which data is available. Therefore, we can assume there were no convictions for recordable offences under SJP in this period.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to prevent the use of drones for smuggling (a) weapons, (b) drugs and (c) other contraband into prisons. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: Drone sightings around prisons in England and Wales are of great concern and pose a major threat to security. Drone sightings around prisons increased by over 770% between 2019 and 2023 under the previous Government. We are working hard to deter, detect and disrupt the use of illegal drones that deliver contraband so that prisoners have access to a safe and stable rehabilitative environment. Our approach is multi-faceted and includes physical security countermeasures, legislation and working across Government and with international partners on this global issue.

HMPPS uses targeted physical countermeasures such as improvements to windows, installing specialised netting and grills to prevent drones from successfully delivering contraband into prisons. HMPPS also conducts vulnerability assessments across the estate to understand the risk and develop and implement plans to mitigate the threat.

In January 2024, Restricted Fly Zones were introduced around all closed prisons and young offender institutions to disrupt illegal drone use. These restrictions make all unauthorised drone incursions a crime and support police and prison collaboration to help ensure meaningful operational responses. Those using drones to smuggle illicit items which drive violence and criminality in custody, may face up to a decade behind bars.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Financial Conduct Authority’s consultation entitled Diversity and inclusion in the financial sector – working together to drive change, which closed on 18 December 2023, if she will recommend that the Financial Conduct Authority does not introduce a new regulatory framework on diversity and inclusion in the financial sector. \p Emma Reynolds: The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is a non-governmental body which is independent from the Treasury. Parliament has given it broad powers to make rules for the purpose of advancing its statutory objectives.

It is for the FCA to determine the next steps following its consultation, taking into account its objectives and the responses received. The government does not have powers to intervene in their decision making.

The government continues to engage closely with the FCA on issues relating to financial services regulation.
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Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will have discussions with the credit union movement on expanding their role in offering financial services to individuals. \p Emma Reynolds: The Government has made clear its strong support for the credit union sector, recognising the value that credit unions bring to their members in local communities across the country in providing products and affordable credit. It continues to engage regularly with this sector to understand the current barriers they face and consider further opportunities for growth.

The Chancellor announced new measures to support the growth of the credit union and mutuals sector in her Mansion House speech on 14 November. This included publishing a call for evidence on the potential to reform common bonds for credit unions in Great Britain, asking the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) to produce a report on the mutuals landscape by the end of 2025, and welcoming the establishment of an industry-led Mutual and Co-operative Business Council.

Responsibility for credit unions in Northern Ireland is a devolved matter for the Northern Ireland Executive. Treasury officials engage with their counterparts in the Department for the Economy.
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Mrs Elsie Blundell:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to tackle tax evasion by business in the hospitality sector who (a) fail to declare earnings and (b) pay cash in hand. \p James Murray: The Government recognises that sometimes businesses do not declare their cash income and thereby conceal their true earnings and is committed to creating a level playing field for all by ensuring that everyone pays the right amount of tax at the right time. Most taxpayers pay what they owe, but a small minority fail to register with HMRC or only declare a portion of their earnings. This small minority deprive our vital public services of funding, affect fair competition between businesses, and place unfair burdens on everyone else. It is vital these revenues are collected to fund our essential public services. Closing the tax gap and making sure that more of the tax that is owed is correctly paid is one of the Government’s top priorities for HMRC.

HMRC is making it increasingly difficult for businesses to hide their earnings and have an extensive range of powers, including information gathering powers, that help build a picture of risk and identify those who are trying to abuse the system. HMRC’s approach to tax evasion aims to tackle current non-compliance and change future behaviours. Their activities include national campaigns and specialist task forces that incorporate intensive bursts of activity in targeted high risk trade sectors, such as the hospitality sector, and locations across the UK. This includes providing customer education highlighting the importance of keeping accurate records.

Cash continues to be used by many people across the UK and is a legitimate means of paying for goods and services. It is the choice of a business whether to accept or decline any form of payment and is based on factors such as customer preference and cost.

Where an individual or business is paid in cash, the onus is on them to ensure they meet their tax obligations, including registering for and paying the right taxes.

The Government will continue to consider options to tackle cash-facilitated evasion and has indicated it will consult in the future on any measures in relation to tackling cash facilitated evasion.
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Vikki Slade:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to ensure that premises covered by the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill will also be required to provide (a) first aid equipment and (b) public access trauma kits. \p Dan Jarvis: The Terrorism Protection of Premises Bill does not include a specific requirement relating to the provision of medical treatment and associated equipment.

Wider work is ongoing to strengthen Healthcare Standards. The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) is working with partners to put in place updated guidance for health care at events.   DHSC has also undertaken work with the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) and health sector partners to help improve and standardise the contents of Public Access Trauma (PAcT) kits.
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Peter Fortune:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment with the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology of the adequacy of the accessibility of the consultation on Provisional police grant allocations: 2025 to 2026, published on 17 December 2024. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Accessible versions of content on Gov.uk are available on request. HTML documents like the provisional settlement page are already considered accessible within the guidance for publications (Publishing accessible documents - GOV.UK).

The consultation for the Provisional Police Funding Settlement 2025-26 followed this process, which is the same as in previous years.
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Dr Kieran Mullan:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the police national computer retains nominal records for non-resident people. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Non-resident individuals may have nominal records created on the Police National Computer where information suggests that they may pose a risk to UK residents.

Changes to the residency status of a person are not routinely considered as a factor in the ongoing retention of their nominal record.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people on bail for immigration cases have public authorities lost track of in each of the last five years. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The information requested is not readily available and could only be collated for the purposes of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to prevent potential intimidation of people of the Jewish faith during protest marches past synagogues. \p Dame Diana Johnson: This Government is committed to protecting the right of individuals to freely practise their religion at their chosen place of worship.

The police have a range of powers to deal with any behaviour that causes harassment, alarm or distress to others. They also have the power to impose conditions on protests where the purpose of the protest is to intimidate others. The Metropolitan Police utilised these powers this weekend, placing conditions on a planned protest to ensure it did not interrupt or interfere with Shabbat services and other communal events at central London synagogues.

While the use of these powers is of course an operational decision for police, the Government is in regular contact with the police on a range of issues, including on the steps they are taking to prevent intimidation to communities.

The Government currently provides support to Jewish communities through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant which is managed on behalf of the Home Office by the Community Security Trust. This grant provides protective security measures at synagogues, such as security personnel services, CCTV and alarm systems. The Community Security Trust will receive funding of £18 million per year through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant from 2024/25 to 2027/28.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to take steps to give Police and Fire Commissioner roles to combined authority mayors. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Since their introduction, Police (Fire) and Crime Commissioners (P(F)CCs) have brought greater local accountability to policing and we recognise the important role they play as the elected voice of their local communities.

The English Devolution White Paper published last month sets out an ambition for greater alignment of mayoral and public safety functions. The White Paper can be found here. ​​English Devolution White Paper​: Power and partnership: Foundations for growth - GOV.UK
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) new and (b) replacement passports were issued in 2024. \p Seema Malhotra: In 2024, the number of passports issued to customers applying for their first British passport was 1,277,216.

A further 6,442,605 British passports were issued in 2024. This figure includes renewals, and the replacement of passports that were lost, stolen or damaged.
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Nadia Whittome:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of the (a) equitability and (b) affordability of fees for citizenship applications; and whether she plans to review those fees. \p Seema Malhotra: The Home Office routinely considered issues around equitability and affordability, among other considerations, when making determinations on the appropriate level of fees to charge for immigration and nationality applications.

The Home Office previously published an Equality Impact Assessment which includes considerations in respect of citizenship fees: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2023/1004/pdfs/uksiod_20231004_en_001.pdf.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of small boat crossings of the Channel each day in December 2024. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The Home Office publishes information about Channel crossings on a daily basis. This can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/migrants-detected-crossing-the-english-channel-in-small-boats/migrants-detected-crossing-the-english-channel-in-small-boats-last-7-days.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what leadership the Border Security Command provides to (a) Border Force, (b) National Crime Agency, (c) Immigration Enforcement and (d) the police. \p Dame Angela Eagle: There are a number of different bodies that have a role in securing the UK border, including departments and agencies across Government and law enforcement. The Border Security Command is, for the first time, providing system leadership across those partners.

Specifically, in terms of operational partners, the Border Security Command is enabling a step-change in how our full range of capabilities are coordinated, maximised and targeted on immigration crime and reducing irregular migration including through the investment of £150 million to provide new technology, capabilities and specialist officers tackling organised crime.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average award to each individual was under the Voluntary Returns Scheme; and what the total cost was to the public purse of the Voluntary Returns Scheme in each of the last five years. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The specific information requested is not readily available from published statistics and could only be obtained for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

There are long standing arrangements to encourage individuals to return to their home countries through the Voluntary Returns Service (VRS), which offers financial and practical assistance to help people leave the UK peacefully and voluntarily, in order to avoid the considerable costs involved in detaining, accommodating and forcibly removing the same individual under the Enforced Returns process.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing legislation to lower the threshold at which the Department has a legal duty to deport foreign national offenders. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Under the UK Borders Act 2007, the Home Secretary has a duty to deport a foreign criminal convicted in the UK and sentenced to a period of imprisonment of 12 months or more unless an exception applies. Where the automatic deportation threshold is not met, a foreign national can already be considered for deportation where it is considered conducive to the public good under the Immigration Act 1971.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing legislation to require more (a) frequent and (b) detailed checks on the immigration status of licenced taxi drivers. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The Government sets the regulatory structure within which local licensing authorities license the private hire vehicle (PHV) and taxi sector. The primary function of licensing authorities is to ensure that the sector is safe, including defining the criteria that must be met when deciding whether a person is 'fit and proper' to hold a licence.

The Immigration Act 2016 introduced a legal responsibility on licensing authorities not to issue licences in the PHV and taxi sector to those individuals who are disqualified from holding a licence due to their immigration status. Therefore, all licensing authorities in the UK are required to carry out right to work checks during the licence application process to ensure applicants are not disqualified from holding a licence due to their immigration status. The check must be performed when the applicant applies for a licence, or applies to renew or extend their licence, whether for the full statutory term or for a lesser period.
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Zöe Franklin:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking with (a) Europol, (b) Eurojust, (c) French authorities and (d) other international partners to (i) tackle migration challenges and (ii) help reduce deaths in the Channel. \p Dame Angela Eagle: This government is committed to working with international partners to tackle shared migration challenges and is working across multiple lines of effort to reduce the impact of irregular migration into the UK.

To do this the Home Secretary has launched the new Border Security Command which will provide the strategic direction to mobilise work across agencies, to better protect our borders and go after the smuggling gangs facilitating small boat crossings.

We have made progress; in December 2024 we agreed the Calais Group Priority Plan with key near neighbours and the Joint Action Plan on migration with Germany, and in November 2024, the landmark security agreement with Iraq. Additionally, we have a well-established relationship with our French counterparts and continue to work closely to prevent further dangerous crossings and reduce risk to life at sea.

The UK also continues to support the EU and its agencies and undertakes multiple operations with our European law enforcement partners, coordinated through Europol and Eurojust. The NCA has surged additional officers to Europol, enhancing our efforts to arrest and prosecute criminal smuggling gangs and disrupt their supply chains.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish the immigration status of people prosecuted for membership of a rape gang. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The immigration status of convicted offenders may be disclosed as part of court proceedings, at the discretion of the Judge in each case.
wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_153
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_153

Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of known irregular migrants the Department has lost track of in each of the last five years. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Robust procedures are in place to ensure that individuals with no right to be in the UK are removed, either voluntarily or through enforcement action.

When an individual fails to engage with the Home Office or attend a reporting event, we automatically seek to contact them, and if those efforts fail, they are treated as an absconder and the Home Office works with the police, other government agencies and commercial companies to trace those individuals and take appropriate action to remove them.
wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_154
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_154

Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many chartered flights for the deportation of illegal migrants there were in each of the last five years; and how many such migrants there were on each such flight. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The table below shows the number of flights chartered in each of the last five years, and the total number of individuals who were returned or removed on these flights.

Year

Flights

Individuals

2020

47

883

2021

64

1,298

2022

62

1,566

2023

60

2,622

2024

66

3,533
wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_155
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_155

Richard Tice:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle crimes committed by individuals who have entered the country illegally. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The police deal with all criminals without fear or favour, irrespective of their nationality or immigration status.

Foreign nationals who commit serious crimes in our country should also be in no doubt that where practical and lawful, we will pursue their deportation.
wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_156
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_156

Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the nationalities were of illegal migrants removed since 2018. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The Home Office publishes statistics on returns from the UK in the ‘Immigration System Statistics quarterly release’.

Data on enforced and voluntary returns from the UK, including the breakdown by nationality can be found in Ret_D01 of the ‘Returns detailed datasets’. This data covers the period 2004 to September 2024.

Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.
wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_157
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_157

Neil O'Brien:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how (a) many people were in receipt of and (b) much was spent on support under section (i) four, (ii) 95 and (iii) 98 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 in each year since 2015. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The Home Office publishes information on asylum expenditure in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts at Home Office annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK.

Prior to 2023/24 asylum support costs were not published separately.

The government is determined to restore order to the asylum system so that it operates swiftly, firmly, and fairly, including reviewing all spending to ensure the best value for money for the British taxpayer.
wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_158
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_158

Lewis Cocking:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress she has made on ending the use of hotels to accommodate asylum seekers. \p Dame Angela Eagle: This government inherited an asylum system under exceptional strain, with tens of thousands of people stuck in limbo without any prospect of having their claims processed. At their peak use under the previous government, in the autumn of 2023, more than 400 asylum hotels were being leased by the Home Office, at a cost of almost £9 million a day.

We took immediate action to resolve that chaos by restarting asylum processing, establishing the new Border Security Command to tackle the people-smuggling gangs, cracking down on illegal working across the country, and increasing the return and removal of people with no right to be here.

Inevitably, due to the size of the backlog we inherited, the Home Office has been forced to continue with the use of hotels for the time being. But this is not a permanent solution, and the small increase in the number in use at the end of last year was just a temporary but necessary step to manage pressures in the system, which is now in the process of being reversed.

It remains our absolute commitment to end the use of hotels over time, as part of our reduction in overall asylum accommodation costs. In the interim, we are also continuing to increase our operational activity against smuggling gangs and illegal working, and we have increased returns to their highest level since 2018, with 16,400 people removed in the first six months this government was in charge.
wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_159
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_159

Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential implications of the number of asylum seekers entering the UK in December 2024 for (a) community cohesion and (b) the use of hotels for housing asylum seekers. \p Dame Angela Eagle: This government inherited an asylum system under exceptional strain, with tens of thousands of people stuck in limbo without any prospect of having their claims processed. At their peak use under the previous government, in the autumn of 2023, more than 400 asylum hotels were being leased by the Home Office, at a cost of almost £9 million a day.

We took immediate action to resolve that chaos by restarting asylum processing, establishing the new Border Security Command to tackle the people-smuggling gangs, cracking down on illegal working across the country, and increasing the return and removal of people with no right to be here.

Inevitably, due to the size of the backlog we inherited, the Home Office has been forced to continue with the use of hotels for the time being. But this is not a permanent solution, and the small increase in the number in use at the end of last year was just a temporary but necessary step to manage pressures in the system, which is now in the process of being reversed.

It remains our absolute commitment to end the use of hotels over time, as part of our reduction in overall asylum accommodation costs. In the interim, we are also continuing to increase our operational activity against smuggling gangs and illegal working, and we have increased returns to their highest level since 2018, with 16,400 people removed in the first six months this government was in charge.

The safety and wellbeing of the local communities in which asylum accommodation is located is of paramount importance. The Home Office works in collaboration with local authorities and other partners to ensure that accommodation sites are successfully managed and the impact upon the local community is minimised. Any incident relating to security or community cohesion is reported to the Home Office immediately, so any necessary changes can be made as soon as possible.
wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_160
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_160

Richard Tice:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the annual cost to the public purse of providing public services including (a) healthcare, (b) education and (c) housing of migrants that have arrived via small boat crossings in each of the last five years. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The Home Office publishes all available information on asylum expenditure in the Home Office Annual Report and accounts at Home Office annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK.
wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_161
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-20 conversation_161

Richard Tice:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure asylum seekers are no longer housed in hotels in Boston and Skegness constituency. \p Dame Angela Eagle: This government inherited an asylum system under exceptional strain, with tens of thousands of people stuck in limbo without any prospect of having their claims processed. At their peak use under the previous government, in the autumn of 2023, more than 400 asylum hotels were being leased by the Home Office, at a cost of almost £9 million a day.

We took immediate action to resolve that chaos by restarting asylum processing, establishing the new Border Security Command to tackle the people-smuggling gangs, cracking down on illegal working across the country, and increasing the return and removal of people with no right to be here.

Inevitably, due to the size of the backlog we inherited, the Home Office has been forced to continue with the use of hotels for the time being. But this is not a permanent solution, and the small increase in the number in use at the end of last year was just a temporary but necessary step to manage pressures in the system, which is now in the process of being reversed.

It remains our absolute commitment to end the use of hotels over time, as part of our reduction in overall asylum accommodation costs. In the interim, we are also continuing to increase our operational activity against smuggling gangs and illegal working, and we have increased returns to their highest level since 2018, with 16,400 people removed in the first six months this government was in charge.

Data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation, including hotels, and by local authority can be found within the Asy_D11 tab for our most recent statistics release: Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK.