Written questions by Gardner.

When she expects the Final Report on the Undercover Policing Inquiry to be published.

Awaiting answer.

What progress has been made on the Undercover Policing Inquiry.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of expanding drug testing on arrest powers to synthetic cathinones.

The Forensic Science Regulator has established a working group to develop regulatory requirements around the use of drug testing kits and devices. The working group involves police, forensic providers, academia and government organisations, including the Home Office. No assessment has been made of the merits of updating Home Office guidance with specific regard to synthetic cathinones.The Home Office and operational partners have processes and capabilities in place at the UK Border to detect illicit substances, including synthetic cathinones trafficked through mail. The Home Office engages with postal and parcel operators both in the UK and internationally to tackle this threat.Most synthetic cathinones are controlled as Class B drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Drug Testing on Arrest gives police the power to identify offenders under the influence of Class A drugs and get them the help they need. Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are expanding tests to cover specified Class A, B and C drugs. These drugs will be specified through secondary legislation. The Crime and Policing Bill is progressing through Parliament and the Government will look to bring forward the necessary secondary legislation following Royal Assent.I am grateful to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs for their comprehensive report on synthetic cathinones. The Government is considering the ACMD’s recommendations carefully and we will respond as soon as possible.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of updating the Home Office Approved Field Testing guidance in relation to synthetic cathinones.

The Forensic Science Regulator has established a working group to develop regulatory requirements around the use of drug testing kits and devices. The working group involves police, forensic providers, academia and government organisations, including the Home Office. No assessment has been made of the merits of updating Home Office guidance with specific regard to synthetic cathinones.The Home Office and operational partners have processes and capabilities in place at the UK Border to detect illicit substances, including synthetic cathinones trafficked through mail. The Home Office engages with postal and parcel operators both in the UK and internationally to tackle this threat.Most synthetic cathinones are controlled as Class B drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Drug Testing on Arrest gives police the power to identify offenders under the influence of Class A drugs and get them the help they need. Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are expanding tests to cover specified Class A, B and C drugs. These drugs will be specified through secondary legislation. The Crime and Policing Bill is progressing through Parliament and the Government will look to bring forward the necessary secondary legislation following Royal Assent.I am grateful to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs for their comprehensive report on synthetic cathinones. The Government is considering the ACMD’s recommendations carefully and we will respond as soon as possible.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs' recommendations on synthetic cathinones in its report entitled Synthetic Cathinones: an Updated Harms Assessment report.

The Forensic Science Regulator has established a working group to develop regulatory requirements around the use of drug testing kits and devices. The working group involves police, forensic providers, academia and government organisations, including the Home Office. No assessment has been made of the merits of updating Home Office guidance with specific regard to synthetic cathinones.The Home Office and operational partners have processes and capabilities in place at the UK Border to detect illicit substances, including synthetic cathinones trafficked through mail. The Home Office engages with postal and parcel operators both in the UK and internationally to tackle this threat.Most synthetic cathinones are controlled as Class B drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Drug Testing on Arrest gives police the power to identify offenders under the influence of Class A drugs and get them the help they need. Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are expanding tests to cover specified Class A, B and C drugs. These drugs will be specified through secondary legislation. The Crime and Policing Bill is progressing through Parliament and the Government will look to bring forward the necessary secondary legislation following Royal Assent.I am grateful to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs for their comprehensive report on synthetic cathinones. The Government is considering the ACMD’s recommendations carefully and we will respond as soon as possible.

If she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the level of importation of synthetic cathinones through mail; and what progress her Department has made in tackling the importation of illicit substances through mail.

The Forensic Science Regulator has established a working group to develop regulatory requirements around the use of drug testing kits and devices. The working group involves police, forensic providers, academia and government organisations, including the Home Office. No assessment has been made of the merits of updating Home Office guidance with specific regard to synthetic cathinones.The Home Office and operational partners have processes and capabilities in place at the UK Border to detect illicit substances, including synthetic cathinones trafficked through mail. The Home Office engages with postal and parcel operators both in the UK and internationally to tackle this threat.Most synthetic cathinones are controlled as Class B drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Drug Testing on Arrest gives police the power to identify offenders under the influence of Class A drugs and get them the help they need. Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are expanding tests to cover specified Class A, B and C drugs. These drugs will be specified through secondary legislation. The Crime and Policing Bill is progressing through Parliament and the Government will look to bring forward the necessary secondary legislation following Royal Assent.I am grateful to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs for their comprehensive report on synthetic cathinones. The Government is considering the ACMD’s recommendations carefully and we will respond as soon as possible.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the reduction in the post-decision move on period on levels of homelessness.

We closely monitor the impact of all our policies, including the move on period, on the number and occupancy of asylum hotels, the overall costs of the asylum accommodation estate, the wider effect on local communities, and any pressures placed on local authorities and public amenities. We remain committed to working closely with our partners to identify improvements and make efficiencies in supporting newly recognised refugees move on from asylum accommodation.

What steps she is taking to increase recruitment of firefighters in Stoke-on-Trent South.

Firefighters play a vital role in keeping the public safe and we are grateful for the work undertaken by fire and rescue services across the country in support of their local communities.The Government is committed to ensuring fire and rescue services have the resources they need to do their important work. Overall, fire and rescue authorities will receive around £2.87 billion during 2024/25. Standalone FRAs will see an increase in core spending power of £95.4m during 2024/25. This is an increase of 5.6 per cent in cash terms compared to 2023/24.Individual fire and rescue authorities are responsible for ensuring that fire and rescue services are meeting the needs of their local community and will direct resources where they are needed most.

What steps her Department is taking to (a) monitor and (b) help tackle far right extremism.

The Government is committed to tackling those who spread views that promote violence and hatred against individuals and communities in our society, and that radicalise others into terrorism. To understand such threats, we maintain expertise and capabilities to understand terrorist and extremist online communications, in order to produce rapid, high-quality assessments designed to support the Prevent programme.The Prevent programme tackles the ideological causes of terrorism and provides early intervention for people at risk of radicalisation. The programme deals with all forms of terrorist ideology, including Islamist, Extreme Right-Wing, other threats.We work closely with law enforcement and multi-agency partners to respond to any such activity which may pose a threat.

What steps her Department is taking to tackle anti-social behaviour in Stoke-on-Trent South constituency.

The Government recognises that effective multi-agency working is crucial to reducing anti-social behaviour and ensuring safer communities. We will continue to work with police, local authorities and the voluntary sector to identify and share best practice.Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for this Government, and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission. We will put thousands of neighbourhood police and community support officers into local communities and crack down on those causing havoc on our high streets by introducing tougher powers including new Respect Orders to tackle repeat offending.

What steps her Department is taking to help tackle car thefts in (a) Stoke-on-Trent South constituency and (b) other constituencies.

This Government is determined to drive down vehicle crime and we are closely working with the automotive industry and police to ensure our response to vehicle crime is as strong as it can be.We continue to work with the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for vehicle crime, through the National Vehicle Crime Working Group, to take forward a programme of work to drive down vehicle crime. We are focusing on prevention and deterrence of theft of and from vehicles; this includes training police officers on the methods used to steal vehicles, encouraging vehicle owners to secure their vehicles, and working with industry to address vulnerabilities in vehicles.The Home Office collects and publishes information on the number of ‘Aggravated vehicle taking’ and ‘Theft or unauthorised taking of motor vehicle’ offences recorded by the police in England and Wales on a quarterly basis. This information is available at the Police Force Area and Community Safety Partnership area level including ‘Stoke-on-Trent Community Safety Partnership Area’. Information at the constituency level is not held centrally.Data for year ending March 2024 shows there were 714 ‘Aggravated vehicle taking’ and ‘Theft or unauthorised taking of motor vehicle’ offences recorded by Stoke-on-Trent Community Partnership Area, a rise of 1% compared with the previous year. There was a small fall (1%) across England and Wales for the same period.

What progress the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs have made on the review into synthetic cathinones.

The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drug’s review on synthetic cathinones is scheduled for publication by December 2024.