Written questions by Brandreth.

What assessments she has made of trends in the levels of recruitment and retention in Cheshire Police; and how many officers have (a) left and (b) joined the force since July 2024.

Forces are expected to manage their recruitment and retention activities to ensure that they meet officer headcount targets linked to funding arrangements set out in the Police Funding Settlement.Data on joiners and leavers is published annually in July, including data for the previous year to 31 March. For the last full year that data is available (April 2024 to March 2025) Cheshire Police saw an increase in joiners of 17.1% (178 full time equivalents) alongside an increase in leavers of 4.5% (7 full time equivalents).

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of reducing the number of police community support officers in Cheshire on levels of crime in that area.

The Government’s Safer Streets Mission sets a clear expectation for policing to deliver safer communities and improved public confidence. An effective, well-supported police service is central to achieving this.Based on their £3,009,490 allocation from the Neighbourhood Policing Grant, Cheshire Police is projected to grow by 48 FTE neighbourhood police officers in 2025-26.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 the resources at their disposal to provide an effective service to local communities.

What steps he is taking to ensure that policing capacity is maintained in areas experiencing (a) increased community demand and (b) a reduction in policing numbers.

The Government is committed to ensuring police forces are supported to tackle crime effectively. As part of our mission to deliver safer streets, we will restore neighbourhood policing and support forces to rebuild relationships with their local communities.The 2025-26 final police funding settlement provided funding of up to £19.6 billion for the policing system in England and Wales. This is an overall increase of up to £1.2 billion when compared to the 2024-25 settlement.This includes a total of up to £376.8 million specifically to support forces to achieve officer headcounts set out in the Police Funding Settlement and £200m to kick start the growth in neighbourhood policing personnel.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 the resources at their disposal to provide an effective service to local communities.

Whether she has considered taking entry-level doctor jobs off the shortage occupation skills list.

The Government published the White Paper ‘Restoring Control over the immigration System’ on 12 May 2025. The White Paper set out its intention to introduce a Temporary Shortage List to replace the Immigration Salary List (previously known as the Shortage Occupation List).The list will initially be comprised of occupations where the MAC have previously identified as in shortage and those which are key to the Industrial Strategy. The Government will set out in due course the composition of that list.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of levels of welfare of employees at animal testing facilities.

Licenced establishments are responsible for the welfare of employees at animal testing facilities.The Regulator has published extensive guidance for the regulated community on the operation of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. The published guidance includes information on the operation of named roles whose responsibilities include ensuring that those dealing with animals are adequately educated, trained and supervised until they are competent and ensuring that those dealing with animals have access to the information they need.The Home Office holds regular, scheduled, meetings with stakeholders from the regulated community to discuss their concerns.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the auditing process in place for animal testing facilities.

All establishments licensed to breed or supply animals, or to carry out regulated procedures on animals under ASPA in Great Britain, are subject to the full requirements of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA).To provide assurance of compliance with the Regulations, the Regulator provides clear and accessible guidance and conducts regular on-site audits.The published framework for audit is based on clear benchmarks and assessing compliance through organisational governance to encourage greater commitment to compliance. Both announced and unannounced site visits are undertaken within a risk- based framework to assure compliance and inspect the welfare, health, and environment of animals at any establishment.Through a current regulatory reform programme, the Regulator is presently recruiting to have more Inspectors for audit related activities.