theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-01)

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Mark Pritchard:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will reform the Judicial Appointments Commission to ensure improved (a) transparency and (b) diversity in the appointments process. \p Sarah Sackman: The independent Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) has a statutory duty under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (CRA) to select candidates for judicial appointment solely on merit and to encourage diversity. Its processes are governed by the CRA and by the Judicial Appointments Regulations 2013. It keeps its selection processes under continual review to ensure they are transparent, fair, and attract talented candidates from a wide range of backgrounds. It publishes its annual report and accounts, independent reviews and appointments data is included in the annual judicial diversity statistics.

The Government is strongly committed to achieving a judiciary which better represents the diversity of the population. In the most recent year for which statistics are available (2023/24), 53% of candidates recommended for appointments to become judicial office holders by the JAC were women and 16% from ethnic minorities, contributing to a more diverse judiciary. The Ministry of Justice, as a member of the Judicial Diversity Forum, works closely with the judiciary, the Judicial Appointments Commission, the Legal Services Board and the three largest legal professions on actions to improve judicial diversity. The Forum’s 2025 action plan (https://judicialappointments.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Judicial-Diversity-Forum-Priorities-and-Actions-for-2025-Final.pdf) which was published in February, sets out our shared priorities.

Under the CRA, candidates for judicial office can complain to the JAC and subsequently to the independent Judicial Appointments and Conduct Ombudsman if they believe that their application for appointment has not been handled appropriately.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-01)

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Clive Lewis:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the implications for her Department’s policies on trans people in prison of the Supreme Court's decision on 16 April 2025. \p Alex Davies-Jones: The Supreme Court ruling brings clarity and confidence for women and service providers.

This Government inherited the policy regarding allocation of transgender prisoners from the previous Government, and have not moved any transgender women into the women’s estate since taking office.

Following the Supreme Court ruling in the For Women Scotland case, the Lord Chancellor has commissioned a review of transgender prisoner allocation policy.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-01)

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Vikki Slade:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offenders convicted of offences against children have been released under early release schemes; and what continuing supervision is taking place. \p Alex Davies-Jones: This Government inherited prisons days from collapse. We were forced to take decisive action to stop our prisons overflowing and keep the public safe. All sex offences, irrespective of sentence length, are excluded from SDS40.

Offenders released on licence are subject to strict conditions, such as curfews and exclusion zones, and face being immediately returned to prison if they break the rules.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-01)

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Liz Saville Roberts:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many probation service staff providing pre-sentencing report delivery were in employment for courts in (a) England and (b) Wales in each of the last 10 years. \p Alex Davies-Jones: The number of Probation Officers and Probation Services Officers (FTE) working in the Courts internal function as of December of each year since 2017:

England

Wales

Total

2017

988.0

48.8

1,036.8

2018

970.4

56.4

1026.9

2019

885.7

54.3

940.0

2020

863.6

53.7

917.3

2021

894.7

52.4

947.1

2022

894.4

56.5

950.9

2023

956.1

64.0

1,020.1

2024

1,060.7

79.7

1,140.4

The above table details, from internal management information, the FTE Probation Officers and Probation Services Officers who were recorded as working in the Courts internal function in December of each year.

Data prior to 2017 is not easily obtainable or reliable as it would come from a different data source. It would not be reliable to provide a trend between the two data sources.

Staff in this internal function would have spent some (but not necessarily all) of their time delivering Pre-Sentence Reports. Staff are also required to carry out other forms of work in court e.g. triaging court lists and producing other types of reports.

There are some other staff who may carry out Pre-Sentence Reports in addition to those in the table (sessional staff and some staff from the Offender Management internal function). These staff would carry out Pre-Sentence Reports on an ad-hoc basis and their contribution would not be quantifiable.

Any change year-on-year does not necessarily mean a change in funding for these staff and could reflect of how many staff were in post and available to carry out this work.

Administrative or managerial staff are not included in these figures, although these staff play an important role in supporting PO and PSO colleagues with the delivery of Pre-Sentence Reports.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-01)

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Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what are the performance indicators agreed with Serco as part of the contract to provide electronic monitoring services. \p Alex Davies-Jones: During the procurement of the Field and Monitoring Service contract, all suppliers were required to provide details of their vetting, staff recruitment, training and retention processes and these were assessed as part of the evaluation process. As with all of our contracts, we have robust mechanisms in place to hold Serco to account, including provisions to address under-performance. We have set out that Serco must deliver robust training that they are continually reviewing it for areas of improvement

The contract outlines the ongoing requirements Serco staff must meet in terms of pre-employment checks, additional vetting and specific national security vetting clearance.

There are 14 Key Performance Indicators within the Field and Monitoring Service contract held by Serco. Detailed information on the 14 Key Performance Indicators is available on Contracts Finders under Schedule 3 of the contract: Electronic Monitoring Field and Monitoring Service (FMS) - Contracts Finder.
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Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent estimate she has made of the number of offenders not tagged as a result of the Probation Service holding an incorrect address for the offender. \p Alex Davies-Jones: To establish the number of people who were not tagged because the probation service held and provided an incorrect address to the EM provider would require a trawl through thousands of individual case records held on prison and probation systems. Such information could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost and is therefore not available.

The probation service audit cases where an individual has not received a tag through a weekly data report. Where incorrect addresses are identified, through discussion with EMS they are rectified as soon as possible. Serco must make a minimum of two attempts to install a tag. If both visits result in a “no show” or if the address held by Serco is incorrect, Serco is required to send a non-compliance notification to the offender’s probation officer, who will then make a decision on what enforcement action is appropriate. This can include a return to court or custody if an offender has moved address without telling their probation officer or if they have breached their licence conditions.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to permit outdoor religious weddings. \p Alex Davies-Jones: The Law Commission’s 2022 report on weddings raises a number of issues around weddings law, including giving greater choice in how and where individuals can get married.

Given marriage will always be one of our most important institutions, it is right that we take the time to carefully consider this report before we set out our position on weddings reform in the coming months.
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Ben Goldsborough:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisons have offered courses in (a) parenting and (b) relationships in each of the last 10 financial years. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: HMPPS does not hold the data on how many prisons have offered courses in parenting and relationships in each of the last 10 financial years. Courses delivered under the Prison Education Framework (PEF) include both accredited and non-accredited courses as commissioned by the Governor, and the data system does not have the ability to filter by these subject categories. Whilst data records indicate that a number of courses have taken place since 2019, this only captures data for England, PEF provision only, and provides limited information on courses which are due to take place in the future
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Ian Roome:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made on the recruitment of the new Armed Forces Commissioner; and when he expects they will begin in post. \p Luke Pollard: Recruitment for the Armed Forces Commissioner is progressing with the role expected to be advertised by June 2025. The recruitment process will be through fair and open competition and subject to a full public appointment process regulated and overseen by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments. It is anticipated that the Armed Forces Commissioner will be in post in early 2026, following the pre-appointment scrutiny process.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to publish the short-term action plan to enhance family homes. \p Al Carns: We do not intend to publish a short-term action plan.

In our new Consumer Charter, we announced seven commitments to immediately improve the lived experience for Service families:

Service families will start to see early benefits including a named Housing Officer provided for every home, and £50 million to fund refurbishment works on 1,000 of the worst homes.

The Defence Housing Strategy will be published later this year and will set out further long-term plans to improve the standard of Service family homes.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many snowmobiles are (a) owned by his Department and (b) deployed overseas. \p Luke Pollard: The Royal Marines are the Armed Forces’ Extreme Cold Weather experts and have a fleet of 184 snowmobiles, which are known as Over Snow Reconnaissance Vehicles.

The Ministry of Defence does not routinely disclose a breakdown of the location of equipment capabilities, or the operational readiness of our fleet, in the interests of safeguarding security and operational effectiveness.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent progress his Department has made on implementing the Armed Forces Recruiting Programme. \p Luke Pollard: The Armed Forces Recruiting Service contract with Serco commenced on 1 April 2025, with full unification of recruitment being implemented by October 2027, replacing separate schemes for the Royal Navy, Army, and RAF. This will create a streamlined, accessible single-entry point to attract diverse talent and modernise recruitment - making it faster and simpler.

Between the contract start and full implementation in October 2027, we are in a funded discovery phase involving development, testing, and configuration, supported by the Single Services to ensure a smooth transition.

A robust governance and reporting framework oversees progress, supports decision-making, manages risks, issues, and escalations, and monitors performance. Serco is integrated into all levels of this framework to foster collaboration and shared responsibility for a successful transition.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many personnel the National Cyber Force has. \p Luke Pollard: The National Cyber Force does not comment on detailed figures regarding staff numbers for national security reasons, though there is a roughly equal share of personnel from Defence and the UK intelligence community.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2025 to Question 37596 on Ammunition: Lost Property and Theft, whether any losses have been referred to the Service Prosecuting Authority. \p Luke Pollard: All losses and thefts of ammunition are rigorously investigated, in partnership with the Ministry of Defence Police, Service Police and Home Office Police Forces as appropriate. No ammunition was reported stolen during that period and no reports to the Service Prosecution Authority were made.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-01)

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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he has taken to increase co-operation between (a) British armed forces and the (b) Italian armed forces. \p Luke Pollard: Italy remains one of the UK’s most critical partners for European defence and security. The UK has a valuable and longstanding partnership with Italy built on deep tri-service links and historic cooperation in the combat air and weapons sectors.

Through annual 2+2 meetings between our Foreign and Defence Secretaries, our bilateral High-Level Military Dialogue, and regular interaction through other groupings such as NATO and E5 Defence Ministers Group, we continuously explore how our nations can better work together to address issues of shared strategic interest.

The closeness of our relationship is exemplified by our commitment to the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP). Alongside Italy and Japan, we have made great progress delivering GCAP, achieving Treaty Ratification between all partner nations in December 2024 and establishing the GCAP Headquarters, based in Reading. This programme will not only deliver a cutting-edge combat aircraft but will foster closer defence cooperation between the three nations while also strengthening each country’s defence industry, creating jobs and fostering economic growth.

Outside of GCAP, the bi-annual Senior Armaments Export Group meeting brings together Government and industry to understand how we can best work together to pursue opportunities for deeper collaboration on defence programmes and exports. In February 2025, British and Italian capability directors signed a Statement of Intent focusing on complex weapons cooperation, adding more structure to this relationship.

Operationally our relationship is strong. We continue to deepen interoperability between our Carrier Strike Groups. As the only other European nation with carrier-capable F-35B aircraft, the Italian Armed Forces are providing a crucial contribution to the UK’s 2025 Carrier Strike Group deployment, Op HIGHMAST.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many applications to the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) have there been in each year since 2015; and how many were successful for each year. \p Al Carns: In financial year 2023-24, 9,545 initial injury/illness claims were registered under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS). Of which, 2,454 have been awarded either a lump sum payment or a lump sum payment and a guaranteed income payment as at 31 March 2024. The attached supporting table shows the number of initial injury/illness claims registered and awarded under the AFCS from 1 April 2015 to the 31 March 2024 by financial year in which the initial claim was registered.

Question 48058 Supporting Table (docx, 33.9KB)
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to implement the recommendations of the Quinquennial Review of the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme 2023. \p Al Carns: The Department continues to work to implement the accepted Quinquennial Review recommendations. A progress update will be published over the course of the year.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Written Statement of 28 April 2025 on Creation of the King’s Gurkha Artillery, HCWS 605, whether any financial incentives been offered to encourage serving Gurkhas to transfer to the new unit. \p Al Carns: The King’s Gurkha Artillery (KGA) will be employed in the Close Support discipline within the Royal Regiment of Artillery.

The KGA will initially be trained on the Light Gun, then ARCHER. They will be trained on the remote-controlled Howitzer 155 artillery system when it comes into service.

No financial incentives have been offered. However, the new unit will offer career and development opportunities for Gurkha soldiers who join the KGA in recognition of their service to the UK.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason (a) The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and (b) RAF Cranwell are not rated by Ofsted. \p Al Carns: Both the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and the Royal Air Force Officer Training Academy (at Cranwell) were inspected by Ofsted using the Ministry of Defence Inspection Framework (care and welfare) during the 2022-23 academic year. Both training establishments were graded as Good (Level 2) for Overall Effectiveness and the full reports can be found in the Ofsted Annual Report for 2022-23 which can be found at the following address: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/welfare-and-duty-of-care-in-armed-forces-initial-training/welfare-and-duty-of-care-in-armed-forces-initial-training-2022-to-2023#establishments-inspection-history

Ofsted conduct approximately a dozen inspections of Ministry of Defence training establishments per year. It is expected that both Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and Royal Air Force Officer Training Academy (Cranwell) will be inspected in the next academic year 2025-26.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department is conducting or plans to commission research into the long-term health impacts of explosive exposure for military personnel. \p Al Carns: Ministry of Defence (MOD) officials reviewed with interest the recent British Journal of Urology International research letter on a potentially increased risk of bladder cancer in military personnel exposed to explosive ordnance. This is a complex scientific area, and the MOD has referred this matter to the Independent Medical Expert Group (IMEG) for their independent medical advice. The possible link between exposure to explosives and an increased risk of bladder cancer among military personnel will be discussed by the IMEG at their June 2025 meeting.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to support veterans. \p Al Carns: This is a Government of service that will always stand up for those who serve our country. I am working across Government and with civil society to ensure veterans get access to the health, housing, employment and other support they need.

Housing support is available across the United Kingdom via Op FORTITUDE, a single referral pathway to connect veterans with help and support. This system provides housing guidance and assistance to veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Veterans can also access a range of tailored employment support, including the Career Transition Partnership, which is the initial point of provision for those leaving military Service in search of new job opportunities, and via Op ASCEND, the employment pathway for veterans.

For veterans resident in Northern Ireland, the Veterans’ Welfare Service Northern Ireland is a specialist statutory welfare service for veterans and their families. The service provides information and practical support, including physiotherapy and psychological therapies for eligible veterans. The service works closely with the Office for Veterans’ Affairs, which is part of the Ministry of Defence and recently enhanced its presence in Northern Ireland, along with the independent Northern Ireland Veterans’ Commissioner and the 11 Veterans’ Champions in councils across Northern Ireland.
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Lewis Cocking:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 14 April 2025 to Question 44030 on Prisoners: Repatriation, whether (a) her Department and (b) HM Prisons and Probation Service have targets for the efficiency of the Early Removal Scheme process. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Between 5 July 2024 and 22 March 2025, there were 1,848 Early Removal Scheme (ERS) returns, which is a 15% increase compared to 1,610 in the same period 12 months prior.

As part of the government’s Plan for Change and mission to create safer streets, we are building on the existing co-operation between the Home Office and HMPPS (HM Prisons and Probation Service) with a £5 million government investment in prisons across England and Wales which will assist in speeding up returns under the ERS.

This money will fund the deployment of specialist frontline staff to 80 jails to speed up the removal of prisoners who have no right to be in this country.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-01)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many ASPEN cards have been reported (a) lost and (b) stolen since 5 July 2024. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Aspen cards are issued only to the main applicants on claims for Asylum Support and can only be used for chip and pin payments. Asylum seekers are able to report any difficulties, including loss or theft of their Aspen card, by calling Migrant Help, available 24/7 by telephone, webchat or email.

The Home Office publishes regular information on asylum expenditure in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts, but the specific cost data requested is considered commercially sensitive, and its disclosure could undermine the ability of the Home Office to secure maximum value for money in future contract negotiations.
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David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's guidance entitled Terms of reference for VfM Study on procuring short-term residential accommodation, published on 11 March 2025, how much the Home Office spent on hotels for asylum support in 2024-25. \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(opens in a new tab).
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Nick Timothy:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her department has had with (a) Serco and (b) other contract providers on the scope of contingency accommodation for asylum dispersal. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The Home Office continues to work with a range of stakeholders to meet our statutory obligations, while also delivering our commitments to reduce overall asylum accommodation costs, and end the use of hotels over time.
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Nick Timothy:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with (a) West Suffolk District Council and (b) other local authorities on an increase in the number of asylum seekers dispersed. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The Home Office works with local authorities and other stakeholders across the country to ensure that it can fulfil its statutory obligations, and meet the Government’s commitment to reduce the overall costs of asylum accommodation, including ending the use of hotels over time.

The Home Office regularly publishes statistics on the numbers of asylum seekers in receipt of support nationally, and further broken down by region and local authority. These data sets can be found on GOV.UK: (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67bc51acd157fd4b79addd4f/support-local-authority-datasets-dec-2024.xlsx).
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Jim Allister:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what procedures are in place to check the movement of people over the Northern Ireland-Republic land border to identify illegal immigrants with no right to access the Common Travel Area. \p Dame Angela Eagle: As the Hon Member will be aware, no immigration checks are undertaken on the Northern Ireland-Republic land border, but our enforcement agencies do operate intelligence-led operational activity throughout the UK to ensure that all individuals within our territory, regardless of where they enter from, meet the UK’s immigration requirements. Anyone who fails to do so is liable to be detained and, if they are not lawfully present within the UK, removed.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime on knife crime. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Prime Minister and Home Secretary launched the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime in September 2024. The Coalition brings together campaign groups, families of those who have tragically lost their lives to knife crime, young people who have been impacted and community leaders, united in their mission to save lives.

The Minister for Crime Prevention and Policing has attended 5 coalition meetings since it was founded, chairing its most recent meeting on 28th April. The Home Secretary has also met with members of the Coalition.

The Coalition has discussed key issues, including the online sale of knives, child criminal exploitation and the banning of ninja swords.
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Afzal Khan:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, where AI is being used in the immigration system; and whether she plans to extend the use of AI in the immigration system. \p Seema Malhotra: AI is used in multiple areas within the immigration system, for example in relation to image recognition, summarisation, triage, matching and analysis. We plan to continue to test and pilot how we can use AI, where appropriate to do so, to support effective and efficient operations.
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Chi Onwurah:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on levels of upfront visa costs for researchers. \p Seema Malhotra: Home Office officials and ministers consult widely with their counterparts across government on all aspects of the immigration system.
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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of granting Ukrainians settled in the UK through sponsorship schemes the right to remain (a) indefinitely and (b) until it is safe to return. \p Seema Malhotra: We are committed to standing with Ukraine and providing stability for those we have welcomed to the UK and those who still need our sanctuary.

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

We keep the Ukraine schemes under continuous review in line with the ongoing conflict and the Ukrainian government’s desire for the future return of its citizens to Ukraine. This is why the Ukraine Schemes are temporary and do not lead to settlement in the UK. Similarly, time spent in the UK with permission granted under the Ukraine Schemes cannot be relied upon towards the continuous qualifying period for the purposes of a Long Residence application.

There are other routes available for those who wish to settle in the UK permanently, if they meet the requirements, such as work routes and family routes. These routes are published on GOV.UK at: Work in the UK - GOV.UK and Family in the UK - GOV.UK.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the forthcoming immigration white paper on the ability of universities to attract international students. \p Seema Malhotra: The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and other stakeholders.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to support people with the police complaints process. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The statutory police complaints process allows members of the public to raise concerns or express dissatisfaction with the police. They can do so directly to their local police force or via the online portal on the website of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). The IOPC has a phone line for the public to ask for assistance on making their complaint. The most serious and sensitive matters are investigated independently by the IOPC, but all complainants have a right to an independent review if their complaint is dealt with first by the police force. The IOPC run targeted campaigns to build awareness among specific groups, including women and girls, about how to access the police complaints system.

The Government keeps the police complaints system under review to ensure that it is fit for purpose. In October last year, the Home Secretary announced a package of reforms to improve public confidence in police accountability. This includes amendments in the Crime and Policing Bill, to put the victims right to review on a statutory footing for complainants who want to challenge a decision by the IOPC not to refer a case to the Crown Prosecution Service.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-01 conversation_88

Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of (a) Operation Scorpion and (b) other initiatives in reducing drug trafficking and county lines activity in Devon and Cornwall. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Through the County Lines Programme, we will continue to target exploitative drug dealing gangs and break the organised crime groups behind the trade. To deliver our pledge to halve knife crime in the next decade it is crucial that we tackle the drug gangs that run county lines through violence and exploitation.

Between July and September 2024, policing activity delivered through the County Lines Programme has resulted in over 400 deal lines being closed, the arrest and charge of over 200 deal line holders, 500 arrests and 800 safeguarding referrals of children and vulnerable people. Through the Programme, we also fund specialist support for children and young people caught up in county lines and child criminal exploitation. More than 280 children and young people have received dedicated specialist support through our county lines support service since July 2024.

While the majority of lines originate from the areas covered by the Metropolitan Police Service, West Midlands Police, Merseyside Police, and Greater Manchester Police, county lines is a national issue. This is why, through the Home Office-funded County Lines Programme, we fund the National County Lines Co-ordination Centre to monitor the intelligence picture, identify and share effective practice, and co-ordinate the national law enforcement response. In addition, we have a dedicated surge fund which provides local forces with additional funding to tackle county lines. This funding has previously been used to support Op Scorpion, the joint South West regional operation to tackle drug supply, which has yielded significant results.

As part of the Programme, the NCLCC regularly coordinates weeks of intensive action against county lines gangs, which all police forces take part in. During the most recent which took place 25 November to 1 December 2024, activity from Op Scorpion resulted in 95 individuals being arrested, and 107 individuals being safeguarded. Devon & Cornwall Police made 26 arrests, safeguarded 49 vulnerable individuals, visited 28 cuckooed addresses, and seized Class A drugs with an estimated value of £175k.

As committed to in the Government’s manifesto, we are introducing a new offence of child criminal exploitation in the Crime and Policing Bill to go after the gangs who are luring children into violence and crime. Alongside an offence, we are introducing new civil preventative orders to prevent CCE conduct from occurring or re-occurring. We are also introducing an offence of cuckooing to target individuals who take over the homes of vulnerable people for criminal purposes and punish them for the harm caused.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-01 conversation_89

Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime on knife crime. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Government is committed to strong neighbourhood policing for everyone in England and Wales, no matter where they live.

As the Prime Minister announced on 10 April, by July, every community will have named and contactable officers dedicated to addressing the issues facing their communities as part of the Government’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee.

We are providing £200 million to police forces in financial year 2025/26 to kickstart the recruitment of 13,000 more neighbourhood policing personnel across the country.

West Midlands Police has been allocated £12,210,903 for 2025/26. Based on their funding allocation, the projected growth for West Midlands Police over 2025/26 will be 289 police officers (FTE) and 20 Police Community Support Officers (FTE).
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-01 conversation_90

Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of mobile speed camera vans in reducing speeding in (a) the West Midlands and (b) Aldridge-Brownhills constituency. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The use of mobile speed camera vans to enforce speed limits is an operational matter for West Midlands Police.

Excess speed is a major cause of death and serious injury on our roads and anyone who breaks the speed limit should expect to face proper sanction.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-01 conversation_91

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department’s publication entitled Cambridgeshire Constabulary, published on 9 April 2025, whether the figures apply only to year one of the four year neighbourhood policing grant. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The figures published on Neighbourhood policing grant allocations and projections: 2025 to 2026 - GOV.UK relate to the first year of the neighbourhood policing programme only.

This marks the first year towards increasing neighbourhood policing by 13,000 officers by the end of this Parliament.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-01 conversation_92

David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 14 February 2025 to Question 29611 on Offences against Children: Reviews, how many local inquiries will be supported; and at what average cost. \p Jess Phillips: I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 7 April to Question UIN 44574, and to the responses I gave in Parliament on 28 April.

The Home Secretary has commissioned Baroness Louise Casey to conduct an audit to improve national understanding of the scale, nature, and profile of group-based child sexual abuse. The audit is well underway and will report to the Home Secretary in the next month.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-01 conversation_93

Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department provides to people seeking to complain about private security companies hired by local authorities. \p Jess Phillips: The Security Industry Authority (SIA) is a Home Office arm’s length body established by the Private Security Industry Act 2001 (PSIA) as the regulator of the private security industry.

The SIA publishes guidance for buyers of private security which is available at: Do you buy security?.

Complaints or concerns about the SIA, or about private security companies, or people working in the private security industry, can be raised at: Complaints procedure - Security Industry Authority - GOV.UK, Report a Crime or Concern.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-01 conversation_94

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in how many council areas have grooming gangs been reported. \p Jess Phillips: Child sexual abuse and exploitation, including group-based offending or ‘grooming gangs’, remains under-identified and under-reported. Police recorded crime figures are captured by Police Force Area, which equates to local authorities in many instances. Analysis by the police found that there were 115,000 cases of child sexual abuse recorded by the police in England and Wales in 2023, with 4,228 group-based offences identified by the Taskforce, which is likely to be a significant under-estimate.

That i’s why all 43 police forces in England and Wales have been tasked with looking again at historic cases of group-based Child Sexual Exploitation which were closed with No Further Action, and to re-open investigations and pursue new lines of inquiry where appropriate.

Baroness Louise Casey is also currently conducting a national audit into the nature, scale and profile of grooming gangs offending across the UK, which will report back next month.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-01 conversation_95

Nesil Caliskan:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress her Department has made on confirming the site for the planned Photographic Reconnaissance Unit Memorial. \p Sir Chris Bryant: The Royal Parks wrote to DCMS on 11 April 2025 regarding the site for the planned Photographic Reconnaissance Unit memorial. Officials from DCMS have since been in discussion with The Royal Parks regarding the proposed site, which is under The Royal Parks’ management.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-01 conversation_96

Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether their Department plans to amend its policies on access to (a) toilets, (b) changing facilities and (c) other single-sex spaces in (i) Departmental buildings and (ii) other buildings within their Department’s remit following the Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Supreme Court ruling made it clear that the provision of single-sex spaces is on the basis of biological sex. Providers should note and follow the ruling.

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

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

The Government is considering the implications of the Court’s judgment, including what this means for Government buildings.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-01 conversation_97

Mr Louie French:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department maintains a record of the time spent by each of her Department's Ministers in each of its offices. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) does not maintain a formal record of the time spent by DCMS Ministers in the department's offices. Ministers' diaries are managed by their individual Private Offices and while Private Office staff do hold information within ministerial diaries, this information is not quantified for record-keeping purposes. It is also the case that the department does not routinely release information relating to the operation of ministerial Private Offices.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-01 conversation_98

Liz Jarvis:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to improve access to investment and funding for video game developers in the UK. \p Sir Chris Bryant: The Government is committed to supporting the growth of the UK’s video games sector as part of the upcoming creative industries sector plan, having identified the creative industries as one of eight priority sectors in the industrial strategy.

We recognise the challenges faced by the video games sector, and the wider creative industries, when it comes to accessing finance. These challenges are outlined in the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre 2024 report on Growth Finance for the Creative Industries.

To address these issues at an early stage, the Government has announced £5.5 million funding for the UK Games Fund (UKGF) for 2025/26, which will provide grants to early-stage studios across the UK to develop prototypes and new intellectual property, and run development programmes for new graduates. Previous independent evaluation found that UKGF programmes served a well-established and identifiable gap within the sector – the provision of early stage funding and support to companies and teams seeking to develop video games. DCMS has commissioned a further independent evaluation of the UKGF which will be published in due course.

Additionally, video games companies can benefit from Video Games Expenditure Credit, the UK Global Screen Fund, and access support from the Create Growth Programme.

In January 2025 we announced that the British Business Bank will increase its support for the creative industries, including video games, as an area of high growth potential as part of the Industrial Strategy. Further detail will be set out in the Creative Industries Sector Plan, to be published in the coming months.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-01)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-01 conversation_99

Matt Bishop:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking with key stakeholders to meet (a) the requirements of commercial broadcasters and (b) secure public access to live sport. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Government recognises the importance of ensuring access to live sport so that it can be enjoyed by a wide audience. However, this must also be balanced with the ability of sports national governing bodies to generate revenue to invest in their sports at all levels, given broadcasting rights provide essential income for these organisations.

All UK broadcasters are operationally and editorially independent of the government. Decisions relating to coverage of particular sporting events are ultimately a commercial decision for the relevant broadcaster and/or the rights holder of the specific sporting event.