Written questions by Rosindell.

With reference to her Department's report entitled Scientific procedures on living animals, Great Britain: 2024, published on 23 October 2025, what assessment she has made of (a) the number of animals used in experiments in British laboratories in 2024 and (b) trends in the number of animals used in experiments in British laboratories.

In 2024, there were 2.64 million regulated scientific procedures carried out in Great Britain involving living animals. This is a decrease of 1% on the previous year, and the lowest number since 2001.The trends in the number of animals and types of procedures carried out each year are influenced by a range of extraneous factors, for example requirements for research and testing which include products being brought to market.The Home Office is responsible for regulating under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) to assure compliance with protections afforded to animals used in science and to administrate the licensing framework. Data trends and requirements will be assessed by the authorities whom have particular responsibilities and requirements for the use of animals of science.

If she will take steps to commission an independent review of the Public Order Act 1986.

The Home Secretary launched a review of public order legislation on 5 October, including the Public Order Act 1986The review will ensure police powers remain fit for purpose, are used consistently, and strike the right balance between protecting the public and upholding the right to lawful protest. Further details of the review will be announced in due course.

If she will take steps to commission an independent review of the Serious Crime Act 2007.

This Government remains firmly committed to tackling serious and organised crime and the significant threat it poses to communities across the UK. It is essential that law enforcement agencies are equipped with robust and effective tools to respond to this challenge.The Serious Crime Act 2007 was subject to full parliamentary scrutiny during its passage in Parliament. In addition, the Act underwent post-legislative scrutiny in 2012, the findings of which are publicly available.This review assessed the implementation and impact of the Act and can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/post-legislative-scrutiny-of-the-serious-crime-act-2007.

How many non-crime hate incidents have been recorded in (a) England, (b) Greater London, and (c) Romford constituency since 2023.

The Home Office does not collect data on non-crime hate incidents.

What steps she has taken to work with relevant authorities to tackle the illegal sale of cigarettes in (a) England and (b) the parliamentary constituency of Romford.

The Government is committed to reducing the number of illicit tobacco and vaping products on sale nationally.In January 2024, HMRC and Border Force published their latest illicit tobacco strategy, ‘Stubbing Out the Problem’. This sets out the Governments’ continued commitment to restrict the trade in illicit tobacco with a focus on reducing demand, and to tackle and disrupt organised crime groups. This strategy is supported by £100 million of new smokefree funding allocated over 5 years to boost existing HMRC and Border Force enforcement capability.HMRC are also working closely with both Trading Standards and Border Force to develop a robust compliance approach for the introduction of Vaping Products Duty (VPD) on 1 October 2026.

What recent steps she has taken to help ensure access to twenty-four-hour police front counters in (a) Romford constituency and (b) England.

Decisions regarding the management of local police resourcing and estates, including publicly accessible front counters at police stations, is a matter for Chief Constables and directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners (or equivalents). They are best placed to make these decisions based on their knowledge of local need, experience, and in line with their existing budget.A key part of the Government’s Safer Streets Mission is focused on restoring neighbourhood policing, and rebuilding trust and confidence in policing, The commitments set out in the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee are now making a considerable difference to the service communities receive from their neighbourhood policing teams.We have also provided £200 million in FY 2025/26 to support the first steps of delivering 13,000 more neighbourhood policing personnel across England and Wales by the end of the Parliament. This increase in neighbourhood policing, alongside the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, will strengthen the connections between the police and the communities they serve.

What steps she has taken to help increase the regularity of police patrols in (a) England and (b) Romford.

The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee (NPG) is now being delivered across England and Wales to ensure consistent and high-quality neighbourhood policing.As a result of the NPG, communities are now benefitting from more visible patrols, and stronger engagement. Officers are working closely with residents and businesses to tackle issues such as anti-social behaviour, shop theft, vandalism.Neighbourhood policing teams are spending the majority of their time within their communities, delivering visible patrols and actively engaging with residents and businesses.As part of the NPG the Government has made £200 million available in FY 25/26 to support the first steps of delivering 13,000 more neighbourhood policing personnel across England and Wales by the end of this Parliament, including up to 3000 additional neighbourhood officers by March 2026.As a result of the Neighbourhood Policing Grant the Metropolitan Police Service are projected to grow by 470 neighbourhood officers in 2025-26.

What her Department’s policy is on housing of asylum seekers in houses of multiple occupancy.

The government is committed to reducing reliance on hotels by expanding the overall supply of dispersal and temporary accommodation, including through the private sector. Local authorities are consulted on all dispersed accommodation before it is procured, including for HMOs. This is a necessary step to meet our legal obligations while being cognisant of local pressures.

What steps she has taken to reduce the number of asylum seekers living in houses of multiple occupancy.

We’re taking decisive action to reduce the asylum backlog, close hotels, and return control of sites to local areas. Our strategy is focused on restoring order and fairness to the system while protecting public safety. The Immigration White Paper sets our measures to reduce inflow to the asylum system, ultimately reducing reliance on accommodation.

What recent steps she has taken to prevent people that illegally enter the UK from being able to work.

The Government is leading a UK-wide crackdown on illegal working as part of a whole system approach to tackle illegal migration from every angle.The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill introduces tough new laws to clamp down on illegal working.  This means that for the very first time, right to work checks will be extended to cover businesses hiring gig economy and zero-hours workers in sectors like construction, food delivery, beauty salons, courier services and warehousing.Home Office Immigration Enforcement teams are intensifying operational activity across the UK to stop businesses hiring people to work illegally.  Since this government came into power, there have been 10,031 illegal working visits to premises and 7,130 arrests have been made, an increase of 48% and 51% compared to the year before (5 July 2023 to 28 June 2024).  In that time, 2,105 civil penalty notices have been issued.Alongside the Department for Business and Trade, the Home Office is working closely with the major food delivery platforms, including Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat, to ensure they understand their responsibilities in using riders who have the right to work in the UK.Last month the Home Office commenced data sharing with leading food delivery firms. The agreement enables the Home Office to share sensitive location data of the locations of asylum hotels with the firms helping the companies detect and suspend accounts suspected of illegal working, particularly where delivery riders may be sharing accounts with individuals who do not have the legal right to work in the UK.Finally, the Government has announced the introduction of digital ID this parliament. It is clear that offering access to the UK labour market is part of the approach taken by unscrupulous criminals to profit from facilitating illegal migration. Providing a single system to prove a right to work, will simplify the process and drive-up compliance.

If her Department will consider designating the Cartel of the Suns as a Terrorist Organisation.

While the UK Government keeps the list of proscribed organisations under review, we do not routinely comment on whether an organisation is or is not being considered for proscription.

If she will take steps to deport immigrants found guilty of violent crimes.

Foreign nationals who commit serious crimes in our country will face the full force of the law and be deported at the earliest opportunity.This government has already removed almost 5,200 foreign national offenders in its first year of office, a 14 per cent increase on the previous twelve months (5 July 2024 to 4 July 2025) and we will continue to crack down on any foreign nationals who come to this country and break our rules.

What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the efficacy of enforcement provisions in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, in the context of the recent BBC investigation into the illicit tobacco market.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will strengthen enforcement and crack down on rogue retailers selling illegal and unregulated tobacco and vape products to children and young people. The Bill introduces new £200 fixed penalty notices in England and Wales for certain tobacco and vape offences, including underage sales, and enables the introduction of a retail licensing scheme in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and a new registration scheme for tobacco, vape and nicotine products sold on the UK market.Alongside the Bill, we are investing £30 million of new funding for enforcement agencies in 2025/26, including Trading Standards, HMRC and Border Force. This funding is being used to support the enforcement of illicit and underage tobacco and vape sales in England, and the implementation of the measures in the Bill.

What steps she is taking to help improve the mental health of police officers.

This Government is committed to supporting the mental and physical wellbeing of all our police.This includes providing ongoing funding to the National Police Wellbeing Service (NPWS), which provides evidence-based guidance, advice, tools and resources which can be accessed by forces. This helps Chief Constables in their duty to ensure the wellbeing of their workforce. In particular, the Service is helping forces to identify where there is most risk of impacts on mental health, and developing work around building resilience, as well as putting in place support for those who need it in response to traumatic events.The Police Covenant has already helped deliver pre-deployment mental health training for new recruits and improved occupational health standards for officers in service.A new National Police Health and Wellbeing Strategy was launched in June 2025 by NPWS. Workforce Prioritisation Guidance has been published alongside this, which provides clarity and guidance to forces on how to implement and invest in evidence-based and scalable health and wellbeing solutions locally.

What discussions he has had with his Irish counterpart on illegal immigration to the United Kingdom via that country.

The UK and Ireland have a close and collaborative working relationship on a range of issues, including migration and border security. That collaboration includes a joint commitment to protect the Common Travel Area (CTA) from abuse while preserving the rights of British and Irish citizens.Everyone entering the UK, regardless of where they enter from, is required to meet UK’s immigration requirements. Anyone identified attempting to circumvent UK border controls is liable to be detained and, if they are not lawfully present within the UK, removed.

What steps she has taken to help reduce illegal immigration to the United Kingdom via the Republic of Ireland.

The UK and Ireland have a close and collaborative working relationship on a range of issues, including migration and border security. That collaboration includes a joint commitment to protect the Common Travel Area (CTA) from abuse while preserving the rights of British and Irish citizens.Everyone entering the UK, regardless of where they enter from, is required to meet UK’s immigration requirements. Anyone identified attempting to circumvent UK border controls is liable to be detained and, if they are not lawfully present within the UK, removed.

How many people have been charged under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 in each year since 2021.

The Home Office publishes information on the number of charges for modern slavery in England and Wales. The number of individuals charged or summonsed for modern slavery offences was 226 in 2021, 192 in 2022, 167 in 2023 and 209 in 2024.More information on the latest police recorded crime data can be accessed here: Police recorded crime and outcomes open data tables - GOV.UKWhere a charge outcome has been recorded for a modern slavery crime it is not necessarily always a charge under the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

What steps her Department is taking to help protect Hong Kong democracy activists in the UK who have bounties placed on them by the Hong Kong government.

While it is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on security matters, where we identify individuals at heightened risk, we are front footed in deploying protective security measures as appropriate.The Government has developed new guidance which can be found on GOV.UK providing those who believe themselves to be at-risk of transnational repression with practical advice for their safety both physically and online.

What criteria were used to determine the re-imposition of visit visa requirements for Colombia; and what determination he made using those criteria for other Latin American countries.

Full details were provided in the explanatory memorandum accompanying the changes to the Immigration Rules: Explanatory Memorandum to the Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules Presented to Parliament on 26 November 2024.

What plans her Department has to review the current proscription of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) under the Terrorism Act 2000; and what criteria will be used to determine whether (a) HTS and (b) HTS's affiliates continue to pose a threat to national security.

As a matter of long-standing policy, the Government does not comment on proscription matters in respect of individual organisations.