Written questions by Snowden.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of digital ID cards on illegal immigration.

The Digital ID programme is part of a broader strategy to tackle illegal immigration. By making it harder for people without the right to work to gain employment, the government plans to reduce incentives for unlawful entry. Mandating digital ID for right to work checks will strengthen our current approach by:o Acting as a deterrent to would-be migrants hoping to work in the UK illegally.o Ensuring consistency and simplifying the checks that employers must carry out, making it easier for UK citizens and legal residents to demonstrate they have the right to work.o Removing the reliance on physical documents in the UK, making it harder for forged documents to be used as proof of right to work. The Government will start a public consultation on the new digital ID by the end of the year, and has begun engaging with several key stakeholders already. We will continue to engage with a range of organisations over the coming weeks as we prepare the consultation. Police representative bodies will have the opportunity to contribute to the consultation process.

What engagement her Department has had with police representative bodies on the introduction of digital ID cards.

The Digital ID programme is part of a broader strategy to tackle illegal immigration. By making it harder for people without the right to work to gain employment, the government plans to reduce incentives for unlawful entry. Mandating digital ID for right to work checks will strengthen our current approach by:o Acting as a deterrent to would-be migrants hoping to work in the UK illegally.o Ensuring consistency and simplifying the checks that employers must carry out, making it easier for UK citizens and legal residents to demonstrate they have the right to work.o Removing the reliance on physical documents in the UK, making it harder for forged documents to be used as proof of right to work. The Government will start a public consultation on the new digital ID by the end of the year, and has begun engaging with several key stakeholders already. We will continue to engage with a range of organisations over the coming weeks as we prepare the consultation. Police representative bodies will have the opportunity to contribute to the consultation process.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of levels of immigration on patterns of social cohesion.

The Home Office will increase existing English language requirements for economic migrants and introduce new English language requirements for dependants of those coming under economic routes.These measures support the integration of those coming here to work here (and their families) into UK communities, as well; as ensuring that those coming to work here are less vulnerable to abuse and exploitation in the workplace.

How many people were reported missing in each of the last five years.

The Home Office does not hold this data centrally.Information about current missing persons incidents is held by individual police forces. The National Crime Agency’s UK Missing Persons Unit holds the national database for all missing incidents that are unresolved after 72hours, allowing the police to have access to missing persons information across force boundaries. In addition, annual missing persons statistics, broken down to police force level, are published by the National Crime Agency’s Missing Person’s Unit in its annual data report which can be found here: Downloads - National Crime Agency

If she will make an estimate of how many arrestees waived their right to make no comment during police interviews in the latest period for which data is available.

The Home Office does not collect information on the content of police interviews, including whether suspects waive their right to make no comment during police interviews. This information may be held by individual police forces.The Home Office collects and publishes data on arrests by police. The most recent publication relating to arrest statistics can be found at the link below:Stop and search, arrests and mental health detentions, March 2024 - GOV.UKThe Home Office takes a judicious approach to the collection of data from police in order to avoid disproportionate burdens on forces. More information on the Annual Data Requirement is available at the following link:Home Office Annual Data Requirement (ADR) data – Privacy Information Notice - GOV.UK

What mechanisms exist for victims to challenge decisions on whether thresholds for anti-social behaviour case reviews are met.

The Home Office provides statutory guidance to support local agencies in the use of the powers and tools in the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act, including the ASB case review. The guidance makes clear how information should be shared between relevant agencies to ensure the effective operation of the case review. The guidance sets out that relevant agencies should develop agreements for information sharing, risk assessments and a common understanding of the aims of the ASB Case Review.Victims can query decisions with the lead agency for the ASB case review where it has been decided that the threshold has not been met. Where the local council has led the review, victims may also submit a complaint to their using the councils’ formal complaints system. If exhausted or no response is received, victims can also contact the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are creating a new duty for police and crime commissioners (PCCs) to provide a route for victims to query decisions via their office. This includes victims being able to ask the PCC to review decisions made by the lead agency in an ASB case review where they have deemed that the threshold has not been met.

What guidance her Department provides to (a) councils, (b) police forces, (c) health boards, (d) housing providers and (e) other relevant local agencies on the of sharing information during anti-social behaviour case reviews.

The Home Office provides statutory guidance to support local agencies in the use of the powers and tools in the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act, including the ASB case review. The guidance makes clear how information should be shared between relevant agencies to ensure the effective operation of the case review. The guidance sets out that relevant agencies should develop agreements for information sharing, risk assessments and a common understanding of the aims of the ASB Case Review.Victims can query decisions with the lead agency for the ASB case review where it has been decided that the threshold has not been met. Where the local council has led the review, victims may also submit a complaint to their using the councils’ formal complaints system. If exhausted or no response is received, victims can also contact the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are creating a new duty for police and crime commissioners (PCCs) to provide a route for victims to query decisions via their office. This includes victims being able to ask the PCC to review decisions made by the lead agency in an ASB case review where they have deemed that the threshold has not been met.

Whether the Government plans to conduct a post-implementation review of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill in consultation with stakeholders from the (a) events, (b) hospitality and (c) security sectors.

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act, received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025. The new Act will ensure the public are better protected from terrorism by requiring certain public premises and events to be prepared and ready to keep people safe in the event of an attack.It is expected that the implementation period will be at least 24 months from April 2025, to allow for the set-up of the regulator (Security Industry Authority) and to ensure sufficient time for those responsible for premises and events in scope to understand their new obligations, and to plan and prepare accordingly.As detailed in the Act’s Impact Assessment of July 2024, a post-implementation review (PIR) will be undertaken, which will assess whether the new Act delivers the Government’s policy objectives and as detailed in the Impact Assessment, this will include analysis of the costs and impacts on qualifying premises and events.To support delivery of the PIR, the Government has developed a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Programme to: assess whether the Act is meeting its stated objectives; demonstrate its ongoing and long-term impact; evidence how it works in practice; and enhance ongoing delivery of supporting activities. This will incorporate all sectors in scope of the Act, including qualifying events and qualifying premises that amongst other criteria are used for one or more uses set out in Schedule 1, such as for entertainment and leisure, for retail or for visitor attractions. The M&E programme will continue throughout the Act’s implementation period and after commencement.

What (a) resources and (b) support her Department plans to provide to (i) public authorities and (ii) businesses to support compliance with the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill.

The Government is committed to providing dedicated guidance to support those responsible for qualifying premises and events to comply with the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act.The Government has committed to an implementation period of at least 24 months, during which the Act requires the production of two separate pieces of guidance: statutory guidance for those responsible for premises and events in scope to understand how they might meet the requirements of the legislation; and operational guidance which will set out how the regulator will discharge its duties. These will be published in good time, ahead of commencement, to ensure that those in scope have the required information on what to do and how best to do it.We are continuing to raise awareness through communications and engagement campaigns, helping people to understand the purpose of this legislation and how to meet these new requirements. The Government will continue to consider how and where it can otherwise support those in scope.

What support her Department provides to local police forces to identify and tackle anti-social driving behaviour in known wildlife and animal collision hot spots.

Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for the Government, and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission. We are giving police the powers they need to tackle anti-social driving in both rural and urban areas so that they will be able to more easily seize these vehicles from offenders and dispose of them.The Crime and Policing Bill, which is currently making its way through Parliament, will enhance police powers to seize nuisance vehicles which are used in an anti-social manner by removing the requirement to first give a warning to the offender and allow police to put an immediate stop to offending.The Government has also recently consulted on proposals to allow the police to more quickly dispose of seized vehicles which have been used anti-socially. The consultation closed on 8 July and the Government response will be published in due course.Combined, these proposals will help tackle the scourge of vehicles ridden anti-socially and illegally by sending a clear message to would-be offenders and local communities that this behaviour will not be tolerated.

Whether she plans to increase the number of languages guidance on how to find an immigration centre is available in.

To improve the accessibility of the visitor process for immigration removal centres, the Home Office has published translated versions of the guidance on gov.uk for visiting IRCs into 20 languages.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of police workforce shortages on response times to emergency calls.

The Government’s Safer Streets Mission sets a clear expectation for policing to deliver safer communities and improved public confidence. We are committed to giving forces the resources they need to keep the public safe.The 2025-26 final police funding settlement provides up to £19.6 billion for the policing system in England and Wales. Total funding to police forces will be up to £17.6 billion, an increase of up to £1.2 billion compared to the 2024-25 police funding settlement – a significant increase, and more than the increase last year. This equates to a 7.1% cash increase, and 4.6% real terms increase in funding.This includes fully covering the costs for the 2024/25 pay award, the increase in the employer national insurance contributions, £376.8 million for officer maintenance and an additional £200 million to kickstart the first phase of 13,000 additional police officers, PCSOs and special constables into neighbourhood policing roles.It is for Chief Constables and directly elected PCCs, and Mayors with PCC functions to make operational decisions based on their local knowledge and experience. This includes how best to allocate all the resources at their disposal to provide responses to emergency calls alongside all the other services and support they provide to communities.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 Sep 2025 to Question 73585 on Asylum: Housing, what steps her Department is taking to ensure there is no conflict of interest when allocating contracts for asylum accommodation.

All commercial contracts are subject to normal government procurement rules.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 September 2025 to Question 73585 on Asylum: Housing, what her policy is on the administration of asylum accommodation contracts relating to people who both oversee contracts and are licence holders for houses in multiple occupation used for asylum accommodation.

All commercial contracts are subject to normal government procurement rules.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 Sep 2025 to Question 73585 on Asylum: Housing, what mechanisms exist for members of the public to report perceived conflicts of interest in the allocation of contracts to provide asylum accommodation.

All commercial contracts are subject to normal government procurement rules.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 Sep 2025 to Question 73585 on Asylum: Housing, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that Government procurement rules are adhered to in the issuing of contracts to provide asylum accommodation; and what steps he is taking to ensure that perceived breaches can be reported.

All commercial contracts are subject to normal government procurement rules.

What proportion of the increase in illegal working arrests involved people who had originally entered the UK on work visas.

The government takes illegal working very seriously, and we are determined to clamp down on the employment of individuals with no right to work in the UK.The specific information requested is not readily available from published statistics and could only be obtained for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

How many foreign nationals have been refused entry to the UK on the basis of their support for proscribed terrorist groups since 2020.

The information requested is not centrally held and could only be collected and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

Pursuant to the Answer of 11 September to Question 75385 on Greta Thunberg, whether public expressions of support for the proscribed terrorist group Palestine Action are considered relevant to an assessment under Part 9 of the Immigration Rules for refusal of entry to the UK.

A person does not need to have a criminal conviction to be refused admission on non-conducive grounds. Examples of where a person’s presence may be non-conducive to the public good include where the person is a threat to national security, including involvement in terrorism and membership of proscribed organisation, or where the person has engaged in extremism or other unacceptable behaviour, such as the glorification of terrorism.

How many and what proportion of visa sponsor licence revocations were (a) subsequently overturned and (b) appealed successfully from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025.

The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.The Home Office does publish data on the numbers of sponsor licences that are suspended and revoked each year and can be found under the Sponsorship Transparency Data heading at: Migration transparency data - GOV.UK.