Written questions by Khan.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of permitting Chevening scholars to apply for graduate visas.

Chevening Scholars are required, under the terms of their scholarship, to return to their home country at the end of their studies. These conditions apply to all scholars and mean they must leave the UK on completion of their course unless they obtain written consent from the scholarship provider to apply for further permission in the UK, including under the Graduate route. The Government has no plans to introduce a dedicated post‑study visa for Chevening Scholars.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of creating a dedicated visa category for Chevening scholars to apply for after completing their studies in the UK.

Chevening Scholars are required, under the terms of their scholarship, to return to their home country at the end of their studies. These conditions apply to all scholars and mean they must leave the UK on completion of their course unless they obtain written consent from the scholarship provider to apply for further permission in the UK, including under the Graduate route. The Government has no plans to introduce a dedicated post‑study visa for Chevening Scholars.

How much her Department has spent on (a) the arrest and imprisonment of protestors (b) legal proceedings and (c) other costs following the proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation.

The enforcement of the law, including arrests, charges, and sentencing, is a matter for the operationally independent police, Crown Prosecution Service, and the independent judiciary, including associated costs Therefore, the Home Office has not accrued any costs in relation to the costs of enforcing the law for those who have been suspected of committing Palestine Action linked proscription offences.In relation to the cost of legal proceedings, up until 19 December 2025 which is the latest figure the department holds, the total cost in legal fees charged to the Home Office amounted to £694,390.03, exclusive of VAT. This figure includes the legal fees of the Government Legal Department, fees of counsel instructed on behalf of the Home Secretary, court fees, and other administrative legal costs.

What discussions her Department has had with (a) West Midlands Police on amending its risk assessment for the upcoming UEFA Europa League match between Aston Villa FC and Maccabi Tel Aviv FC and (b) Birmingham City Council's Safety Advisory Group on reversing its decision to ban away fans from attending.

Further to the answer that I gave on 27 October, I can confirm that the Government continues to work with West Midlands Police and Birmingham City Council to support them in ensuring the match between Aston Villa FC and Maccabi Tel Aviv FC due to be played on 6 November can proceed safely.We are clear that law abiding fans should be able to enjoy football matches in safety and that any violent or disorderly behaviour at matches will not be tolerated.

When West Midlands Police notified her Department of its risk assessment for the UEFA Europa League match between Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv.

West Midlands Police did not notify the department of it’s risk assessment findings. Planning for football matches is considered and decided locally by Safety Advisory Groups which are operationally independent of Government and assess the risks and safety for the public. Home Office Officials were notified on 2 October 2025 by the UK Football Policing Unit of the options under consideration to allow the upcoming UEFA Europa League match between Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv to proceed safely.The department was not informed of the final decision until it was in the public domain.The Government has been working with West Midlands Police and Birmingham City Council to support them in considering all the options available for the match, including what resources are needed to manage the risks. Although the ultimate decision regarding the admittance of away fans is for the Local Authority to make, Government was clear that resources should not be the determining factor in whether Maccabi Tel Aviv fans would be admitted.

Whether her Department has offered additional resource to West Midlands Police for the UEFA Europa League match between Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv.

West Midlands Police did not notify the department of it’s risk assessment findings. Planning for football matches is considered and decided locally by Safety Advisory Groups which are operationally independent of Government and assess the risks and safety for the public. Home Office Officials were notified on 2 October 2025 by the UK Football Policing Unit of the options under consideration to allow the upcoming UEFA Europa League match between Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv to proceed safely.The department was not informed of the final decision until it was in the public domain.The Government has been working with West Midlands Police and Birmingham City Council to support them in considering all the options available for the match, including what resources are needed to manage the risks. Although the ultimate decision regarding the admittance of away fans is for the Local Authority to make, Government was clear that resources should not be the determining factor in whether Maccabi Tel Aviv fans would be admitted.

Whether she has considered the merits of a Palestinian refugee visa scheme.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 13 March to Question 35970.

What recent steps she has taken with police forces to ensure the accurate collection of data on the abuse of older people.

The Home Office is continuingly working with police forces to improve the quality of police recorded crime data collected.However, the safeguarding of vulnerable adults from abuse or neglect is a statutory duty for Local Authorities with Adult Social Services Responsibilities (CASSRs) in England under the Care Act 2014. Information on the safeguarding of adults is collected directly from such Local Authorities and can be found here: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/data-tools-and-services/data-services/adult-social-care-data-hub/dashboards/safeguarding-adults-collection

Pursuant to the Answer of 31 March 2025 to Question 40292 on Demonstrations, whether the post-legislative scrutiny of the Public Order Act 2023 will be carried out independently; and whether her Department plans to publish the outcomes of the review.

In line with standard practice, the memorandum the government will complete as part of the post-legislative scrutiny of the Public Order Act 2023 will cover:A summary of the objectives of the actImplementationSecondary legislation etcLegal issuesOther reviewsPreliminary assessment of the actFurther details on post-legislative scrutiny can be found here: 2025 Guide to Making Legislation - master version - Google Docs

Pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2025 to Question 25955 on Asylum: Syria, whether the requirements for the cessation of refugee status for beneficiaries of international protection originating from Syria have currently been met.

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave him on 30 January 2025 to Question UIN 25955.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a legal pathway for Palestinian children in Gaza to travel to the UK to receive medical treatment.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer of 7 November 24 to Question UIN 11872.

What assessment she has made of (a) the adequacy of and (b) levels of adherence to (i) human rights and (ii) public order obligations in the policing of recent protests.

The police have a fundamental duty under the Human Rights Act 1998 to act in a way that is compatible with human rights, including the rights to freedom of assembly and expression. The police also have a duty to ensure that public order and public safety is maintained. This is made clear to all police officers through police guidance, such as the Authorised Professional Practice on Public Order and Public Safety and the National Protest Operational Advice.The police must therefore strike a fair balance between individual rights to protest and the general interests of the community.The use of police powers to achieve this is a decision for the police, who are operationally independent from Government. As such, Government Ministers cannot comment on the use of these powers in a specific public order context, as to do so may undermine their operational independence.

For what reason her Department paused the processing of applications made by Syrian asylum seekers on 9 December 2024.

We keep all country guidance relating to asylum claims under constant review, so we can respond to emerging issues. Following the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, the Home Office has withdrawn the Country Policy Information Notes and Guidance relating to Syria.Consequently, as the Home Office continues to assess the current situation in Syria, the Home Office has temporarily paused decisions on Syrian asylum claims.

What the average processing time for Syrians' asylum applications was before 9 December 2024.

The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on asylum claims awaiting an initial decision by nationality and duration is published in table Asy_D03 of the ‘Asylum applications, initial decisions and resettlement detailed datasets’. The latest data relates to the situation as of 30th September 2024.

What her policy is on the asylum applications of Palestinian refugees who were formerly residents of Syria and left under the Assad regime.

The Home Office acted swiftly to temporarily pause decisions on Syrian asylum claims whilst we assess the current situation. This includes Syrian nationals as well as those who have previously been habitually resident in Syria.We keep all country guidance relating to asylum claims under constant review so we can respond to emerging issues.

What her Department's policy is on Syrian immigrants who have been granted leave to remain status.

Any Syrian nationals who are resident in the UK with valid permission to stay will need to apply for further permission to stay or settle before their current permission to stay expires. For Syrian refugees who apply for settlement protection after five years residency in the UK, in line with published policies, a safe return review will be undertaken to assess whether it is safe for the applicant to return to Syria.For more information on the settlement protection policy, please see: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/settlement-protection-asylum-policy-instruction.