theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-14)

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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Leader of the House, if she will ensure that a (a) full debate takes place in and (b) divisible motion is agreed by the House of Commons before deploying UK ground forces to Ukraine. \p Lucy Powell: There is a longstanding convention on war powers which this government respects.

I refer the Hon. Member to the words of the Prime Minister on 3rd March 2025 during the statement on Ukraine (available at: https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2025-03-03).

The Prime Minister (Official report, col.28) "We will, of course, put details before the House when we get to that stage—if we get to that stage."

The Prime Minister (Official report, col.38) "My position on the sustained deployment of our troops is that this House would of course want to discuss that and vote on that, but we are nowhere near that stage at the moment."
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-14)

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Andrew Gwynne:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what (a) estimate he has made of the numbers of and (b) assessment he has made of the (i) risks to and (ii) adequacy of (A) advice and (B) support for British nationals near the border between India and Pakistan. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: We continue to monitor the situation between India and Pakistan. The safety of British nationals is our top priority, and our staff stand ready to provide support British nationals overseas 24/7. We are keeping our travel advice under constant review. We have already issued factual updates about military action, and associated airspace closures. British nationals should stay up to date with our travel advice for the country they are in.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-14)

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Claire Hanna:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of transporting aid to Gaza by sea. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: We assess that the delivery of aid through Ashdod Port presents the most viable maritime route at this time. The UK has previously worked with partners to operationalise a maritime aid corridor, but we have always been clear that this can never be a substitute for delivery by land, which remains the best way to get aid in at the scale needed.

The UK continues to call on the Government of Israel to abide by its international obligations to ensure full, rapid, safe and unhindered provision of humanitarian assistance to the population in Gaza.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-14)

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Kate Osamor:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what was discussed during his most recent meeting with his Israeli counterpart. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The Foreign Secretary met with Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar on 15 April during his visit to London to discuss the need for an end to the aid blockade in Gaza and for all parties to push towards an immediate ceasefire and the release of all hostages who remain in Gaza. He also raised his concern for aid worker safety and pushed Foreign Minister Sa'ar for the Military Advocate General to provide a response on the World Central Kitchen strike in April 2024. The UK Government continues to engage with Israeli counterparts on a variety of issues, including the conflict in Gaza. This engagement is vital for the UK as we continue to press towards a long-lasting ceasefire which is the only credible pathway towards a sustainable peace, a two-state solution and the reconstruction of Gaza.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-14)

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Zarah Sultana:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to make an assessment of Israel's compliance with international humanitarian law in the context of its airstrikes in the Israeli-designated safe zone in Al-Mawasi in southern Gaza on 13 July 2024. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: On 2 September 2024 we suspended export licences to Israel for use in military operations in Gaza, following a review into Israel's compliance with International Humanitarian Law (IHL) which concluded there was a clear risk that some UK exports might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of IHL. Our ongoing IHL assessments are informed by legal advice, and supported by a detailed evidence base, including reporting and analysis from international bodies, Non-Governmental Organisations and partner countries and analysis of military incidents - including airstrikes - verified through an independent third-party provider. The assessments continue to raise concerns about possible breaches of IHL in the areas of humanitarian access and in the treatment of detainees. The lack of sufficient verifiable evidence about individual incidents means that in the majority of cases we are unable to reach a determination of Israel's compliance. However, our findings in relation to conduct in other areas give us cause for concern about Israel's overall commitment to IHL, including in the conduct of hostilities.

We are appalled by civilian casualties in Gaza and urgently call for an immediate return to a ceasefire. All parties must re-engage with negotiations to get hostages out, surge aid, and secure a permanent end to this conflict.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-14)

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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to help encourage the resumption of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: We urge all parties to return urgently to talks, implement the ceasefire agreement in full and work towards a permanent peace. More bloodshed is in no-one's interest. Our priority is urging all parties to return urgently to dialogue and to ensuring a ceasefire is implemented in full. It is only a political horizon towards a two-state solution that can ensure the long-term peace and security of both Palestinians and Israelis. We are fully committed to playing our full diplomatic role. Since the hostilities resumed, the Foreign Secretary has spoken to Secretary Rubio, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, EU High Representative Kallas and the UN emergency relief co-ordinator, Tom Fletcher. On 15 April, the Foreign Secretary spoke to his Israel counterpart Gideon Sa'ar, and on 28 April met with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-14)

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Mark Pritchard:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with (a) state and (b) private sector allies and partners to reduce the risk to the UK's (i) national and (ii) economic security of Russia’s development of nuclear anti-satellite weapons. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK takes the potential development of nuclear anti-satellite weapons by Russia seriously. We have been working with international partners and allies to reaffirm the absolute prohibition of the placement of weapons of mass destruction in space, including:

- Supporting a UN Security Council Resolution tabled by US and Japan calling on States not to develop, station or place in orbit any weapons of mass destruction in line with the Outer Space Treaty.

- Co-sponsoring a UN General Assembly Resolution submitted by US, Japan and Argentina reiterating Article IV of the Outer Space treaty, which prohibits the stationing of any Weapons of Mass Destruction in orbit around the Earth.

- Raising our concern of the threat such irresponsible actions pose to all countries by highlighting the devastating impact of nuclear weapons in space in bilateral engagements and statements made at the United Nations General Assembly, United Nations Security Council, UN Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Washington Summit.
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Cat Eccles:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help tackle settler violence in the West Bank. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: Settler violence is unacceptable, and settlements are illegal under international law. The Foreign Secretary has been clear with Israeli ministers that they must clamp down on settler violence and end settler expansion and has previously met with Palestinian communities in the West Bank to hear how they are affected. On 15 October 2024, the Foreign Secretary announced sanctions targeting three illegal settler outposts and four organisations that have supported and sponsored violence against communities in the West Bank. These measures will help bring accountability to those who have supported and perpetrated such heinous abuses of human rights. As I reiterated in the House on 29 April, we call for an end to settlement expansion and settler violence.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-14)

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Charlie Dewhirst:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information his Department holds on whether (a) the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and (b) Hezbollah have provided military training and drone technology to the Polisario Front; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of this alleged collaboration on UK interests in (i) north and (ii) west Africa. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: We do not have information to confirm the allegation of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) or Hezbollah provision of military training and drone technology to the Polisario Front. We continue to support UN-led efforts to reach a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution, based on compromise, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.

The UK has long condemned the destabilising activity of the IRGC and its regional partners and proxies, including Lebanese Hezbollah. We will continue to work with partners to tackle Iran's destabilising activity.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Syrian counterpart on protecting the Druze minority. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: Recent violence against the Druze community in Syria was appalling. In our statement on 3 May, we publicly urged the Syrian government to take steps to shield civilians from violence and hold those responsible to account. The protection of all civilians and their full inclusion in the transition process is vital for peace in Syria. This will continue to be a priority in our engagement with the Syrian government.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Syrian counterpart on the establishment of de-radicalisation programmes in that country. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK is committed to combatting all forms of terrorism emanating from Syria, including from Daesh. Alongside our international partners, we are pressing the Government of Syria to demonstrate their commitment to combat terrorism and extremism in all forms. I raised the security situation with Foreign Minister al-Shaibani in March. The UK National Security Advisor also discussed countering Daesh when he spoke to Syrian President, Ahmed al-Sharaa on 10 April.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has met the High Commissioner of Pakistan since taking office. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The Foreign Secretary met the High Commissioner during a meeting with Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on 4 September 2024. I have met the High Commissioner on multiple occasions, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, and the former Minister for Development Anneliese Dodds have also met with the High Commissioner.
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Charlie Dewhirst:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with regional allies on tackling Iran's alleged (a) involvement in training Polisario militias and (b) strategy to destabilise the region. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK has not seen requisite evidence to raise concerns with allies regarding the allegation of Iranian involvement in training of Polisario Front. However, we continue to monitor Iranian activity in the region. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office regards the Polisario Front as a pro-independence movement and party to a UN-mediated dispute. The UK continues to support UN-led efforts to reach a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution, based on compromise, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.
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Sorcha Eastwood:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his Department's policy paper entitled Summary of the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) process, decision and the factors taken into account, published on 2 September 2024, and the Export Control Act 2002 and the Export Control Order 2008, if he will undertake a further review of whether Israel is complying with International Humanitarian Law. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: Our International Humanitarian Law (IHL) assessments continue to assess Israel's compliance and commitment to IHL. Since the 2 September 2024 announcement, subsequent assessments continue to find possible breaches of IHL in the areas of humanitarian access and in the treatment of detainees. The suspension of export licences therefore remains in place.

We are appalled by civilian casualties in Gaza and urgently call for an immediate return to a ceasefire. All parties must re-engage with negotiations to get hostages out, surge aid, and secure a permanent end to this conflict.
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Sir Desmond Swayne:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of issuing sanctions on people associated with the detention of Alaa Abd El-Fattah in Egypt. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The Government is committed to securing Mr El-Fattah's release and we continue to raise his case at the highest levels of the Egyptian government. The Prime Minister raised the case in a letter to President Sisi on 4 May. The National Security Adviser also raised Mr-El Fattah's case with the Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on 27 April and the Foreign Secretary raised with him on 9 April.
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Charlie Dewhirst:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the policies of the Moroccan government on providing aid for (a) security and (b) development to help tackle fragility in the wider Sahel region. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK and Morocco share concern about the security and development issues faced by Sahelian countries. In the Sahel, the UK provided £177 million in bilateral Official Developmental Assistance in the financial year ending in 2025, including £46 million on health, £83 million on humanitarian, and £12 million on promoting stability and conflict prevention. UK embassies and aid programmes in Mali, Niger, Chad and Mauritania and aid programmes in Burkina Faso promote UK interests and seek to address the root causes of recurrent crises in the Sahel, working with international partners including Morocco. The UK's continued engagement and humanitarian aid helps reduce instability in the Sahel and impact on neighbouring states including Morocco and manage threats to our national security.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Ministerial residence at 1 Carlton Gardens pays council tax as a (a) sole or main residence, (b) single person discount and (c) second home. \p Catherine West: The Foreign Secretary pays the necessary council tax on 1 Carlton Gardens.
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Matt Turmaine:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to help restore the ceasefire in Gaza. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: We welcome the news that US-Israeli citizen Edan Alexander will be released. We thank Qatar and Egypt for their support in bringing Edan out. We call on all parties to use this opportunity to re-engage with negotiations to ensure a lasting ceasefire is implemented, with the release of all hostages, and for Israel to allow the resumption of aid delivery for Palestinians in Gaza immediately. The Foreign Secretary issued a statement with his French and German opposite numbers last month urging all parties to return to a ceasefire and lift the block on aid.
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Matthew Patrick:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps his Department is taking to help secure the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: We welcome the news that US-Israeli citizen Edan Alexander will be released. We thank Qatar and Egypt for their support in bringing Edan out. We call on all parties to use this opportunity to re-engage with negotiations to ensure a lasting ceasefire is implemented, with the release of all hostages, and for Israel to allow the resumption of aid delivery for Palestinians in Gaza immediately. The Foreign Secretary issued a statement with his French and German opposite numbers last month urging all parties to return to a ceasefire and lift the block on aid.
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Peter Swallow:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to help restore the ceasefire in Gaza. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: We welcome the news that US-Israeli citizen Edan Alexander will be released. We thank Qatar and Egypt for their support in bringing Edan out. We call on all parties to use this opportunity to re-engage with negotiations to ensure a lasting ceasefire is implemented, with the release of all hostages, and for Israel to allow the resumption of aid delivery for Palestinians in Gaza immediately. The Foreign Secretary issued a statement with his French and German opposite numbers last month urging all parties to return to a ceasefire and lift the block on aid.
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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he plans to answer Question 46378 on Nigeria: Religious Freedom, tabled by the hon. Member for Harpenden and Berkhamsted on 17 April 2025. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: I apologise for the delay in responding to the hon. Member's question. I issued a response to the hon. Member on 8 May.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to paragraph 2.13 of the Spring Statement 2025, published in March 2025, what his planned timetable is to introduce plans to modernise aid; and how he will engage with (a) parliamentarians and (b) civil society on those plans. \p Stephen Doughty: We are in the process of modernising how the UK approaches international development. Modern partnerships are about using all the levers at the UK's disposal - drawing upon UK diplomacy, trade and investment, and defence, as well as partnering with UK institutions, be that in the science and tech sector, the City of London, our universities, and beyond. As the Government makes decisions about the move to 0.3% of gross national income through the Spending Review, we will set out further plans on this.

The Minister for Development met with Bond [the UK network for organisations working in international development] earlier this month to discuss a number of issues, and is committed to engaging regularly with civil society organisations. The Ministerial team regularly engages with local civil society organisations on overseas visits. Parliamentarians will be included as part of any approach to further consultation. The Minister will be setting more of this out when she appears at the International Development Committee on 13 May.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) replenishments and (b) pledges to (i) the Global Fund and (ii) GAVI on the UK's international reputation. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK is one of the largest donors to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. We have committed £1.65 billion to the current strategic period covering 2021-2025. The UK is working to ensure a successful replenishment of Gavi and the Global Fund through our diplomatic and development network. The UK has been clear about the reasons for the difficult decision to reduce UK Official Development Assistance from 0.5 per cent of GNI to 0.3 per cent by 2027. Announcements on individual investments will be made following the completion of the Spending Review process.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has met the Commonwealth Secretary General since her appointment in March 2025. \p Stephen Doughty: The Foreign Secretary met with Shirley Botchwey in her capacity as Secretary-General elect during January and at Commonwealth Day in March. The Minister for Africa has met with the Commonwealth Secretary-General twice since she took office on 1 April 2025.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department is taking steps to ensure that asylum seekers in publicly-funded accommodation do not (a) promote and (b) practise the (i) rejection of British law, (ii) subjugation of women, (iii) persecution of religious minorities and (iv) other forms of religious extremism. \p Dame Angela Eagle: No one in the UK is allowed to engage in conduct that breaks the law, regardless of the type of accommodation in which they live.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data her Department holds on the prevalence of (a) forced marriage, (b) domestic abuse and (c) educational disadvantage affecting Muslim women; and what steps her Department is taking to help tackle the (i) cultural and (ii) religious barriers that prevent these women from seeking (A) legal and (B) social support. \p Jess Phillips: The Crime Survey for England and Wales for the year ending March 2024 estimates that 5.2% of Muslim women experienced domestic abuse in the last year, compared to a prevalence rate of 6.6% for the adult female population as a whole. In 2023, the Home Office commissioned a feasibility study to examine whether it is possible to produce robust prevalence estimates for forced marriage. We are currently considering the next steps and will set these out in due course. The Home Office does not collect data related to the educational disadvantage.

We fund a number of organisations for specific victim cohorts, including 'by and for' services supporting specific minority groups, including services for Black and Asian women.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of asylum seekers granted leave to remain in the UK since 2010 who have returned to their country of origin for (a) visits, (b) holidays and (c) family reunions; and whether her Department takes steps in such cases to reassess refugee status. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The Home Office does not centrally hold the requested data, and could only collate it through manual searching of historic case files, at a disproportionate cost to the taxpayer.

However, I can assure the Hon Member that, where someone has protection status in the UK, revocation action can be taken at any time if there is sufficient evidence to justify such action. All cases are considered on a case-by-case basis and protection status will be revoked in circumstances where there is no remaining protection need.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been arrested for defacing (a) monuments and (b) statues in the last 12 months. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Home Office collects and publishes data annually on arrests in England and Wales as part of the ‘Police Powers and Procedures’ statistical series.

The most recent data for the year ending March 2024 is available here: Stop and search, arrests and mental health detentions, March 2024 - GOV.UK

However, this data is collected by broader offence group only, e.g. “criminal damage”, and detailed information on specific offences is not available.
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Rachael Maskell:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) firearms and (b) shotgun certificate certificates were revoked in (i) York and (ii) North Yorkshire in the latest 12 month period for which data is available. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Home Office collects and publishes information annually on the number of firearms and shotgun certificates that have been granted, refused or revoked by police forces in the Statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates publication. The latest available data is for the year ending 31 March 2024 and can be accessed at the following link:

Statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates: April 2023 to March 2024 - GOV. UK (www.gov.uk).

The number of firearms and shotgun certificate applications and renewal applications that were completed (either granted or refused), and the number of firearm and shotgun certificates that were revoked in the Yorkshire and the Humber region in the 12 months to March 2024 can be found in data tables 2 and 4.

Within the Yorkshire and Humber region, data are available for Humberside, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire.

Data for the year ending 31 March 2025 will be released between June and July 2025: Statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates, England and Wales: April 2024 to March 2025 - Accredited official statistics announcement - GOV.UK.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the impact of drug trafficking networks operating in and through Venezuela on the UK and its overseas territories. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Drug misuse can have a devastating impact on the safety, productivity, and health and wellbeing of our communities.

The UK takes a global approach to continuously assess the impact of global drug trafficking, working with international partners to try and reduce the flow of drugs to the UK and to ensure we stay flexible and coordinated in our response.

Tackling the supply of drugs and drug trafficking remains a priority for this Government and will play a critical role in making our streets safer. We are taking an end-to-end approach, including working with law enforcement partners upstream and at the UK border to tackle the gangs responsible for drug trafficking.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with police forces on improving (a) public guidance and (b) awareness around (i) garage security and (ii) burglary prevention in Surrey. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Through our Safer Streets Mission, we are determined to crack down on burglary and other crimes that make people feel unsafe in our communities.

In 2024/25, the Home Office funded the Police Crime Prevention Initiatives (PCPI) to provide a burglary prevention course for police officers to improve understanding about home security. The course helps inform the advice and guidance police forces across England and Wales provide to members of the public.

More broadly, the Government is delivering on our commitment to strengthen neighbourhood policing. Through our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, there will be 13,000 additional police officers and police community support officers in neighbourhood policing roles by the end of the Parliament, with each neighbourhood having named, contactable officers dealing with local issues by July of this year.

As set out in the final Police Funding Settlement, published on 30 January, overall funding for policing will total up to £19.6 billion in 2025-26, an increase of up to £1.1 billion when compared to the 2024-25 settlement. This includes £200 million for neighbourhood policing. Surrey Police will receive up to £328.3 million in funding in 2025-26, an increase of up to £19.7 million when compared to the 2024-5 police settlement equating to a 6.4% cash increase.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has received applications for (a) the Safer Streets Fund and (b) other funding streams for fall-prevention equipment from the Police and Crime Commissioner for Dorset. \p Dame Diana Johnson: I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave him on 13 May to Question 50409.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to ensure (a) appropriate funding for and (b) the retention of officers in Essex Police neighbourhood teams amid increasing demand. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Essex Police’s total police settlement for 2025-26 is up to £434.1m, an increase of £27.9m compared to 2024-25. Of this, £4,495,599 has been made available in the Neighbourhood Policing Grant.

Enabled by this funding, Essex Police has a 2025-26 delivery plan to grow it’s neighbourhood policing cohort by 74 police officers (FTE).

Funding beyond 2025-26 will be confirmed in the second phase of the Spending Review.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce sexual assault incidents in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Tackling rape and sexual offences is a key part of our mission to tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG). To meet this ambition, we will deliver a cross-government, transformative approach, underpinned by a new VAWG Strategy, which we are aiming to publish this summer.

We will continue to work with law enforcement agencies to ensure that the right powers are available for them to tackle sexual crimes, bring perpetrators to justice and manage sex offenders.

In addition, we are investing £13.1m for a new National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection to transform the police response across England and Wales and help deliver our commitment for strengthened specialist VAWG training, ensuring consistent protection for victims and that perpetrators are relentlessly pursued.

We have also made several commitments to transform the criminal justice response to sexual offences. This includes rolling out, later this year, free, independent legal advisers for victims of adult rape to help uphold their legal rights, and fast-tracking rape cases.
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Ian Roome:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she will publish the Rural Crime Strategy. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Government is committed to tackling rural crime, safeguarding rural areas through tougher measures to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, strengthened neighbourhood policing and action to prevent fly-tipping.

That is why we are working closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) to deliver the next iteration of their Rural and Wildlife Crime strategy.

The strategy will set out operational and organisational policing priorities in respect of tackling crimes that predominantly affect rural communities, as well as ensuring Government priorities under our Safer Streets Mission are reflected.

In addition, we are providing funding of £800,000 in the current financial year to the National Rural and National Wildlife Crime Units. This will ensure these specialist units continue to help police forces tackle rural and wildlife crime, including helping to combat organised theft and disrupt the activities of serious and organised crime groups.
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Grahame Morris:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 29 April 2025 to Question 45575 on Orgreave, what her planned timeline is for announcing an investigation or inquiry into the events at Orgreave. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Home Secretary and the Minister of State for Policing and Crime Prevention have been meeting with a number of stakeholders to discuss the delivery of the Government’s manifesto commitment on Orgreave.

Next steps will be announced in the normal way in due course.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 7 May 2025 to Question 48630 on Police: Working Hours and with reference to the press notice entitled New measures to put neighbourhood bobbies back on beat, published on 9 April 2025, on what evidential basis she determined the number of neighbourhood police officers required. \p Dame Diana Johnson: This Government wants town centres to be vibrant, welcoming places where businesses thrive and people feel safe and come to shop, socialise and live. What the Hon Member describes about town centres in Hertfordshire is absolutely unacceptable.

As part of the Government’s Plan for Change, and to support making the country’s streets safer, £66.3 million of Hotspot Action funding has been awarded to all 43 territorial police forces in England and Wales for 2025/26. Hertfordshire will receive £1 million of that funding.

In addition, under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act, section 60AA permits officers on patrol to require the removal of face coverings over a 24 hour period, if an authorisation is in place, where there are grounds to believe criminal activity may take place in a particular area, and will last for 24 hours.

Furthermore, stop and search powers permit individuals to be stopped by officers if there are grounds to suspect they are going to commit offences, such as robbery and theft.

The implementation of a new Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee is also key to people feeling safe in their communities. The guarantee includes restoring patrols to town centres and delivering an additional 13,000 neighbourhood policing officers, PCSOs and special constables by the end of this parliament.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect of neighbourhood policing in (a) reducing crime and (b) improving public trust in the police. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Home Office has worked with the College of Policing and the NPCC to develop a performance framework which outlines to forces and the public the performance measures which are being assessed to monitor the progress of the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee.

The framework is attached at the following link Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee performance framework - GOV.UK.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 8 April 2025 to Question 42602 on Stonewall subscriptions, whether MI5 pays subscription fees to Stonewall. \p Dan Jarvis: MI5 last renewed its paid membership as a 'Diversity Champion' of Stonewall in October 2024.
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Lloyd Hatton:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many disclosure orders under the Proceeds of Crime Act the National Crime Agency has (a) sought and (b) been granted in each of the last three years. \p Dan Jarvis: The NCA has several well-established powers under Part 8 (investigations) of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, which they may use to compel information during an investigation including production orders, customer information orders and disclosure orders. These allow relevant law enforcement agencies to obtain information on property, individuals and customer details in support of investigations.

The use of these powers remains an operational decision which will be taken on a case by case basis by the relevant law enforcement body and the Home Office does not hold central data on the extent of their use.
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Rachael Maskell:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) firearm and (a) shotgun certificates have been issued to people who had previously faced allegations of domestic abuse. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Firearms Act 1968 gives responsibility for the issuing of firearms certificates to Chief Officers of Police.

The Statutory Guidance to Chief Officers of Police on firearms licensing, issued by the Secretary of State, makes it clear that any allegations of domestic abuse concerning a firearms certificate applicant must be taken extremely seriously. Any evidence of domestic abuse will mean that the application is usually refused, or the existing certificate revoked.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much amphetamine by (a) volume and (b) value has been seized in the UK over the last 12 months. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Home Office latest published data on amphetamine, ketamine and MDMA seizures made by the police and Border Force for England and Wales covers the period April 2023-March 2024 and can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/seizures-of-drugs-in-england-and-wales-financial-year-ending-2024

The Home Office does not publish the monetary (£) value of drugs seized. In the year ending March 2024, the latest published statistics show that police forces and Border Force seized:

Border Force also publish quarterly transparency data which includes amphetamine, ketamine and MDMA seizures, and can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/border-force-transparency-data-q4-2024

Please find below the relevant statistics from the Q4 Border Force transparency data publication.

2023 Q4

2024 Q1

2024 Q2

2024 Q3

Total

Amphetamines (KG)

13.09

13.70

5.90

25.75

58.44

Ketamine (KG)

152.08

311.80

100.33

419.40

983.61

MDMA (Ecstasy) (Dose 000s)

466.80

241.33

284.16

219.45

1,211.73
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data she used to determine which areas had the highest unmet need for neighbourhood policing resources in the 2025-26 settlement. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Grant funding allocations for neighbourhood policing in 2025/26 were calculated using the Police Funding Formula.

The approach to delivery in 2025/26, which will be year 1 of a 4-year programme, is designed to deliver an initial increase to the neighbourhood policing workforce in a manner that is flexible, and can be adapted to the local context and varied crime demands.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost to the public purse was of monitoring the MI5 watchlist in the latest period for which data is available. \p Dan Jarvis: The Chancellor confirmed in the Spring Statement on 26 March 2025 that the Single Intelligence Account, which provides funding for MI5, SIS and GCHQ, would increase this year to £4.6 billion. Funding for CT Policing, who work closely with MI5, also increased to £1.2 billion this year.

It is a longstanding policy not to discuss the costs and resources associated with specific capabilities such as domestic and international watchlists. Detailed breakdowns of funding allocations for the UK Intelligence Community and CT Policing are not published for security reasons.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 2 May 2025 to Question 48655 on Shellfish; Animal Experiments, for what reason her Department is awaiting a decision from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the Animal Welfare Act; and what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State on that topic. \p Dan Jarvis: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is responsible for the Animal Welfare Act 2006 which provides a framework for animal protection and welfare. It is therefore within Defra's expertise to consider if decapods should come under the Animal Welfare Act. Such action would then have implications for the use of decapods in scientific research.
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Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on improving homeland security. \p Dan Jarvis: The Plan for Change emphasises that national security is the first duty of Government. The Secretary of State for the Home Department therefore engages in regular and ongoing discussions with Cabinet colleagues to ensure a coordinated and robust approach to improving homeland security. These discussions have been integral to shaping the UK's forthcoming National Security Strategy 2025 and the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) 2025.

The Home Secretary is also a member of the National Security Council, which regularly discusses homeland security and how we make the country safer, more secure and increasingly resilient against these interconnected threats.
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Charlie Dewhirst:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of proscribing membership of the Polisario Front. \p Dan Jarvis: Whilst the Government keeps the list of proscribed organisations under constant review, we do not routinely comment on intelligence and security matters, including whether or not an organisation is under consideration for proscription.
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Yasmin Qureshi:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish the findings of her Department's call for evidence entitled Decapods: Call for Evidence, published on 5 July 2023. \p Dan Jarvis: The Government is carefully considering the results from the call for evidence regarding the use of decapods in science to inform future policy options. The Home Office will be guided by decisions made under the Animal Welfare Act regarding any consideration as to whether Decapods are regulated under the Animals (Scientific Procures) Act 1986. There are currently no plans to publish the results from the Call for Evidence.