Written questions by Snowden.

What proportion of the 3,123 additional neighbourhood officers represent (a) new recruits and (b) redeployed officers from other roles.

On 7 April 2026, the Home Office published an ad-hoc statistical release on the growth in neighbourhood policing personnel in England and Wales, as at 28 February 2026, compared with 31 March 2025. This information is based on provisional management information, and is available broken down by Police Force Area here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/neighbourhood-policing-programme-as-at-28-february-2026This ad-hoc statistical release is based on limited management information, meaning it is not possible for the Home Office to determine what proportion of the additional 3,123 neighbourhood policing personnel (at the 28 February 2026 snapshot) are new recruits or redeployed officers from other roles.Police forces have been able to approach the neighbourhood policing programme in a way that best achieves local needs and varied crime demands. Therefore, the precise mix of redeployment and recruitment has been for forces to decide.Finalised statistics will be published in the Accredited Official ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ statistics in July 2026.

If he will make an estimate of the number of appointments that were cancelled as a result of doctor strikes in Lancashire.

On 22 March 2026, the Government made a formal offer to the British Medical Association (BMA) Resident Doctors Committee (RDC) to seek to resolve their dispute. This was the product of joint negotiation with the BMA RDC officers. This offer was rejected by the committee on 25 March and the BMA RDC immediately called industrial action for 7 to 13 April 2026. In the last year, the BMA RDC have called four rounds of strike action in England.NHS England records the number of rescheduled appointments and workforce absences during strike actions, including those in Lancashire. The latest data for April is pending, but data on the from the previous three rounds in 2025 is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/preparedness-for-potential-industrial-action-in-the-nhs/Due to the dedication of National Health Service staff, the NHS delivered almost 95% of planned activity during the five days of strike action in December 2025, similar to the levels of activity during the November strikes and surpassing levels in July.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of exemptions and higher mileage allowances for Motability Scheme users with significant healthcare travel needs, including applying the previous average annual allowance of 12,000 miles per annum.

Responsibility for the terms and administration of the Scheme sits with Motability Foundation and its Board of Governors. The changes to the leasing package were announced on 26 March and include reducing the mileage allowance from 20,000 per year to 10,000 per year. Changes only apply to new leases and there are no changes to the mileage allowance of existing leases. Motability Foundation have advised that approximately 75% of customers on the Scheme already use less miles than the proposed new mileage allowance. They have acknowledged that there will be an impact on some customers and are considering if the impact can be mitigated in some limited circumstances.

Whether he plans to introduce safeguards to ensure that patients presenting with symptoms indicative of serious conditions, including heart arrhythmias, are prioritised appropriately in GP triage systems.

General practices (GPs) are independent contractors to the National Health Service and are responsible for the safe operation of their appointment and triage arrangements, including ensuring that patients with symptoms suggestive of any serious conditions are identified and prioritised appropriately.It is for individual practices to decide how triage systems are configured and overseen within local workflows, and we are clear that GPs must be able to exercise their own clinical judgement when triaging patients, so that those with potentially serious symptoms are identified promptly and directed to the right care.

What estimate he has made of the cost to the health service of injuries related to accidents involving hire e-bikes in the last 12 months.

The information requested is not collected centrally and no such estimate has been made by the Department.

What assessment she mas made of the performance of the Border Security Command since it was established in July 2024; and on what metrics she judges its performance.

Since the Border Security Command was established in July 2024, we have brought together a wide range of partners to organised immigration crime (OIC) and reduce small boat crossings. We have already delivered a significant amount of activity; in 2025, there were 3,625 law enforcement disruptions of OIC, 37% more than in 2024 (2,648).The Border Security Command has a monitoring and evaluation strategy in place which seeks to robustly assess the performance and impact of the Command against its priorities and outcome framework. As is required by the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025, the Border Security Commander will publish an annual report later this year reflecting on the system's performance for the previous financial year.

How many illegal migrants have (a) arrived in and (b) left the UK under the government's one in, one out deal.

As of 6 March, 380 people have been transferred from France to the UK via the new safe, legal route and 377 people have been returned to France. It is not appropriate to provide a continual update on each phase of the operation, not least as it involves sensitive information that could prove valuable to the organised immigration crime gangs that are behind small boats crossings.

What assessment has been made of the adequacy of levels of payments to local authorities outlined in the Funding instruction for local authorities: Asylum Dispersal Grant 2026-2027.

The Asylum Dispersal Grant supports local authorities with a contribution to the costs and pressures of accommodating asylum seekers across all eligible accommodation types in their area. The grant is not intended to meet full costs, but to provide a contribution towards costs incurred by councils, consistent with affordability, value for money and the Local Government Funding Doctrine.The Home Office does not hold a single estimate of the total costs incurred by councils in delivering the services outlined in the Asylum Dispersal Grant Funding Instruction, as costs vary significantly by local authority. Each local authority is free to determine how best to utilise the funding but for monitoring and evaluation purposes must be able to demonstrate that they have fulfilled the eligibility conditions in supporting Asylum Seekers in their area.

What estimate has been made of the costs incurred by councils for the provision of the services outlined in the Funding instruction for local authorities: Asylum Dispersal Grant 2026-2027.

The Asylum Dispersal Grant supports local authorities with a contribution to the costs and pressures of accommodating asylum seekers across all eligible accommodation types in their area. The grant is not intended to meet full costs, but to provide a contribution towards costs incurred by councils, consistent with affordability, value for money and the Local Government Funding Doctrine.The Home Office does not hold a single estimate of the total costs incurred by councils in delivering the services outlined in the Asylum Dispersal Grant Funding Instruction, as costs vary significantly by local authority. Each local authority is free to determine how best to utilise the funding but for monitoring and evaluation purposes must be able to demonstrate that they have fulfilled the eligibility conditions in supporting Asylum Seekers in their area.

What recent discussions he has had with NHS England on improving continuity of care between secondary care and primary care following A&E attendance.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, set out clear ambitions as part of the 10-Year Health Plan around moving the National Health Service from analogue to digital, harnessing technology to allow patients to better manage their own care. The Medium Term Planning Framework reiterates this focus, including achieving full compliance with the minimum standards set out in the Digital Capabilities Framework.NHS England is supporting integrated care boards and providers to improve information sharing and coordination at discharge from urgent and emergency care, so primary care teams have timely access to relevant clinical information and can arrange appropriate follow‑up.This includes continued rollout of the NHS Federated Data Platform, which supports integrated care systems to connect data across urgent, acute, and community services, helping to improve care transitions and follow‑up after accident and emergency attendance.We are continuing to work across Government to cut red tape and improve ways of working, including work to improve the patient experience at the interface of primary and secondary care.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of requiring banks to implement stronger safeguards or alerts for recurring payments initiated after free trials.

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCCA) 2024 sets out new consumer protection rules for subscription contracts. Once the rules are in force, traders will have to provide clear information about subscription contracts before a consumer signs up, ensure that arrangements to exit the contract are straightforward, and provide a 14-day cooling-off period after a 12month+ contract or trial auto-renews. Secondary legislation is required to implement the regime. We consulted on proposals and the Government Response can be found here: Consultation on the implementation of the new subscription contracts regime - GOV.UK The new protections will save the average consumer £14 per month for every unwanted subscription they cancel. The Department for Business and Trade published an Impact Assessment alongside the DMCCA: Subscription traps: annex 2 impact assessment The DMCCA requirements will apply to traders offering subscriptions and the Government currently has no plans to introduce new requirements on banks to tackle subscription traps. The Government will keep the effectiveness of the new rules under review.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of safety regulations governing dockless e-bike hire schemes operating in urban areas.

Shared cycle schemes can have huge benefits but for them to be a success across the country we must minimise negative impacts such as obstructive parking or antisocial behaviour. I know that these negative impacts are not just an inconvenience for many people, but rather a real safety issue. That is why the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill will enable our local leaders to license these schemes and why all licences will include minimum standard conditions set by the Secretary of State, with safety being a core consideration.

Whether her Department plans to introduce a licensing regime for e-bike hire operators operating in public spaces.

Yes. The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, currently at Report Stage in the House of Lords, will empower our local leaders to license shared cycle schemes. Licences will also include minimum standard conditions to ensure a consistent national baseline of safety and operability. We will implement licensing through a combination of regulations and guidance following detailed public consultation.

How many deportation orders issued against foreign national offenders resulted in (a) enforced removals, (b) voluntary departures and (c) no removal in each of the last five years.

Some of the information that you have requested regarding FNOs is not available from published statistics.The Home Office does publish data on FNO returns in the quarterly Immigration System Statistics release which can be viewed at, Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK. This publication includes quarterly data on enforced, voluntary and port FNO returns (of which ‘deportations’ are a legal subset) and are published in table ‘Ret_D03’ of the returns detailed datasets accompanying the release. The Home Office also recently published figures on FNO returns (which include both enforced and voluntary returns) between 1 December 2022 and 31 January 2026, which can be found here: Returns from the UK between 1 December 2022 and 31 January 2026 - GOV.UK.Over 8,700 foreign national offenders (FNOs) have been returned from the UK under this government, and we will continue to do everything we can to remove these vile criminals from our streets.The Home Office provides the data on FNOs who are subject to deportation action, living in the community. These are published quarterly in the Immigration Enforcement Data, which is available at, Migration transparency data - GOV.UK.Work is currently underway to publish more detailed information on FNOs subject to deportation. Further information on this work can be found at: Statistics on foreign national offenders and the immigration system - GOV.UK.

What recent discussions he has had with the Competition and Markets Authority on enforcement action against companies operating misleading subscription models.

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCCA) 2024 sets out new consumer protection rules for subscription contracts. Once the rules are in force, traders will have to provide clear information about subscription contracts before a consumer signs up, ensure that arrangements to exit the contract are straightforward, and provide a 14-day cooling-off period after a 12month+ contract or trial auto-renews.The government has recently published its response to the Consultation on the Implementation of the new Subscription Contracts Regime: Consultation on the implementation of the new subscription contracts regime - GOV.UK. We engaged with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) during the consultation.The CMA and local Trading Standards can take enforcement action against breaches of consumer protection law, including breaches of the existing and new subscription rules once they are in force. The DMCCA gives the CMA new powers to impose fines of up to 10% of global turnover on businesses who infringe consumer protection law. We will continue to engage with the CMA ahead of new regulations commencing.

What recent guidance has been issued to prosecutors regarding enforcement against companies engaging in misleading subscription practices.

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 sets out new consumer protection rules for subscription contracts. Once the rules are in force, traders will have to provide clear information about subscription contracts before a consumer signs up, ensure that arrangements to exit the contract are straightforward, and provide a 14-day cooling-off period after a 12month+ contract or trial auto-renews.The government has recently published its response to the Consultation on the Implementation of the new Subscription Contracts Regime: Consultation on the implementation of the new subscription contracts regime - GOV.UK.The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and local Trading Standards can take enforcement action against breaches of consumer protection law, including breaches of the existing and new subscription rules once they are in force. The DMCCA gives the CMA new powers to impose fines of up to 10% of global turnover on businesses who infringe consumer protection law. We will continue to engage with the CMA ahead of new regulations commencing.

What assessment he has made of the prevalence of deceptive online subscription practices, including misleading free trials and unclear recurring payment terms.

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCCA) 2024 sets out new consumer protection rules for subscription contracts. Once the rules are in force, traders will have to provide clear information about subscription contracts before a consumer signs up, ensure that arrangements to exit the contract are straightforward, and provide a 14-day cooling-off period after a 12month+ contract or trial auto-renews.Secondary legislation is required to implement the regime. We consulted on proposals and the Government Response can be found here: Consultation on the implementation of the new subscription contracts regime - GOV.UK.The new protections will save the average consumer £14 per month for every unwanted subscription they cancel. The Department for Business and Trade published an Impact Assessment alongside the DMCCA: Subscription traps: annex 2 impact assessment.

Whether services provided by CWT UK Group Ltd for UK immigration enforcement include (a) deportation or enforced removals, (b) voluntary returns, (c) domestic travel and (d) international travel for individuals in the immigration system.

CWT provides travel services to Immigration Enforcement via a contract procured under the Public Contract Regulations 2015, awarded in 2017. This contract covers the payments that have been made to CWT UK Group Ltd for UK Immigration Enforcement services since 1 October 2024, and currently expires on 30th April 2027. This is the sole contract held with CWT by the Home Office for Immigration Enforcement.Details of the services provided under this contract can be found at the following link Provision of Travel Services for Immigration Purposes. - Contracts Finder, which also contains a redacted copy of the contract which can be downloaded.CWT provides travel services related to public expense removals, and immigration enforcement activity. This primarily includes international travel for deportation, enforced returns, and voluntary returns. In addition to international travel the contract also provides some limited immigration enforcement related domestic travel, such as internal flights. The CWT contract does not provide domestic travel services for persons within the Asylum system.

How many foreign national offenders subject to a deportation order remain in the UK for which the latest data is available.

Some of the information that you have requested regarding FNOs is not available from published statistics.The Home Office does publish data on FNO returns in the quarterly Immigration System Statistics release which can be viewed at, Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK. This publication includes quarterly data on enforced, voluntary and port FNO returns (of which ‘deportations’ are a legal subset) and are published in table ‘Ret_D03’ of the returns detailed datasets accompanying the release. The Home Office also recently published figures on FNO returns (which include both enforced and voluntary returns) between 1 December 2022 and 31 January 2026, which can be found here: Returns from the UK between 1 December 2022 and 31 January 2026 - GOV.UK.Over 8,700 foreign national offenders (FNOs) have been returned from the UK under this government, and we will continue to do everything we can to remove these vile criminals from our streets.The Home Office provides the data on FNOs who are subject to deportation action, living in the community. These are published quarterly in the Immigration Enforcement Data, which is available at, Migration transparency data - GOV.UK.Work is currently underway to publish more detailed information on FNOs subject to deportation. Further information on this work can be found at: Statistics on foreign national offenders and the immigration system - GOV.UK.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the accessibility of GP appointment systems for patients who do not have access to the internet.

We understand that not all patients have access to or want to use online services. The GP Contract is clear that patients should always have the option of telephoning or visiting their practice in person, and all online tools must always be provided in addition to, rather than as a replacement for, other channels for accessing a general practice (GP).The 2026/27 GP Contract includes a new requirement for practices to enable online appointment requests throughout the duration of core opening hours, which will ease the pressure on phone lines for people who prefer to telephone.The Office for National Statistics’ Health Insight Survey from March 2026 shows that 73.7% of patients reported it was “easy” to contact their GP, up from 60.9% in July 2024.