Written questions by Dean.

Whether additional guidance or support is being provided to police forces to strengthen national public order preparedness.

Following the disorder in the summer of 2024, the then Home Secretary commissioned His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services to undertake an inspection into the police response. The outcome of their inspection was published in May 2025 and said that the National Police Coordination Centre and the National Police Chiefs’ Council should have a clear, live, resourcing and mobilisation picture so that the policing response to public disorder is timely, coordinated, and proportionate.The summer of 2025 also featured significant nationwide protest activity focused on a variety of issues, including the Israel Palestine conflict but also anti-migrant and counter anti-migrant protests. During this disorder, policing stood up a national coordination model, with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and National Police Coordination Centre fulfilling a national command and mobilisation function, despite the absence of a formal statutory role. This is the role that the Home Office intends to build on by establishing a Senior National Coordinator role for public order policing and by enhancing the National Police Coordination Centre.The Government’s White Paper From Local to National: a new model for policing sets out our plans to ensure policing is more effective in responding to instances of widespread disorder and better coordinated across forces.The use of police resources and the provision of training within police forces is a matter for Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners, who are operationally independent of government.The College of Policing is responsible for providing guidance and operational advice for frontline policing. The College of Policing produces the Public Order Public Safety authorised Professional Practice. Alongside this, the Protest Operational Advice Document is published jointly by the College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs’ Council.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of public order training and capability across police forces in England and Wales.

Following the disorder in the summer of 2024, the then Home Secretary commissioned His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services to undertake an inspection into the police response. The outcome of their inspection was published in May 2025 and said that the National Police Coordination Centre and the National Police Chiefs’ Council should have a clear, live, resourcing and mobilisation picture so that the policing response to public disorder is timely, coordinated, and proportionate.The summer of 2025 also featured significant nationwide protest activity focused on a variety of issues, including the Israel Palestine conflict but also anti-migrant and counter anti-migrant protests. During this disorder, policing stood up a national coordination model, with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and National Police Coordination Centre fulfilling a national command and mobilisation function, despite the absence of a formal statutory role. This is the role that the Home Office intends to build on by establishing a Senior National Coordinator role for public order policing and by enhancing the National Police Coordination Centre.The Government’s White Paper From Local to National: a new model for policing sets out our plans to ensure policing is more effective in responding to instances of widespread disorder and better coordinated across forces.The use of police resources and the provision of training within police forces is a matter for Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners, who are operationally independent of government.The College of Policing is responsible for providing guidance and operational advice for frontline policing. The College of Policing produces the Public Order Public Safety authorised Professional Practice. Alongside this, the Protest Operational Advice Document is published jointly by the College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs’ Council.

What steps her Department is taking to help ensure that police forces are adequately prepared to respond to major public order incidents.

Following the disorder in the summer of 2024, the then Home Secretary commissioned His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services to undertake an inspection into the police response. The outcome of their inspection was published in May 2025 and said that the National Police Coordination Centre and the National Police Chiefs’ Council should have a clear, live, resourcing and mobilisation picture so that the policing response to public disorder is timely, coordinated, and proportionate.The summer of 2025 also featured significant nationwide protest activity focused on a variety of issues, including the Israel Palestine conflict but also anti-migrant and counter anti-migrant protests. During this disorder, policing stood up a national coordination model, with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and National Police Coordination Centre fulfilling a national command and mobilisation function, despite the absence of a formal statutory role. This is the role that the Home Office intends to build on by establishing a Senior National Coordinator role for public order policing and by enhancing the National Police Coordination Centre.The Government’s White Paper From Local to National: a new model for policing sets out our plans to ensure policing is more effective in responding to instances of widespread disorder and better coordinated across forces.The use of police resources and the provision of training within police forces is a matter for Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners, who are operationally independent of government.The College of Policing is responsible for providing guidance and operational advice for frontline policing. The College of Policing produces the Public Order Public Safety authorised Professional Practice. Alongside this, the Protest Operational Advice Document is published jointly by the College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs’ Council.

What steps she is taking to reassure (a) exiled activists and (b) foreign dissidents residing in the UK that they will be protected from intimidation and censorship.

This Government takes the protection of individuals’ rights, safety and freedoms, including freedom of speech, very seriously. The UK is an open and diverse country and freedom of speech is one of the values that defines us as a society. We are absolutely committed to upholding free speech and legislation is in place to protect this fundamental right.While we do not comment on individual cases, police will rightly inform individuals if there is any assessed threat to their wellbeing in order to meet duty of care obligations. Memoranda of Understandings can form part of police’s routine approach in this context with officers providing guidance on steps individuals can consider to enhance their personal safety. As with any circumstances, it is up to the individual to decide how they wish to exercise their rights, taking into account the relevant security advice provided.

Whether her Department has launched an investigation into reports that UK police officers asked a Hong Kong pro-democracy activist residing in the UK to sign a memorandum of understanding agreeing to avoid public gatherings.

This Government takes the protection of individuals’ rights, safety and freedoms, including freedom of speech, very seriously. The UK is an open and diverse country and freedom of speech is one of the values that defines us as a society. We are absolutely committed to upholding free speech and legislation is in place to protect this fundamental right.While we do not comment on individual cases, police will rightly inform individuals if there is any assessed threat to their wellbeing in order to meet duty of care obligations. Memoranda of Understandings can form part of police’s routine approach in this context with officers providing guidance on steps individuals can consider to enhance their personal safety. As with any circumstances, it is up to the individual to decide how they wish to exercise their rights, taking into account the relevant security advice provided.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that exiled political activists residing in the UK are not subject to (a) intimidation and (b) pressure to self-censor by UK authorities.

This Government takes the protection of individuals’ rights, safety and freedoms, including freedom of speech, very seriously. The UK is an open and diverse country and freedom of speech is one of the values that defines us as a society. We are absolutely committed to upholding free speech and legislation is in place to protect this fundamental right.While we do not comment on individual cases, police will rightly inform individuals if there is any assessed threat to their wellbeing in order to meet duty of care obligations. Memoranda of Understandings can form part of police’s routine approach in this context with officers providing guidance on steps individuals can consider to enhance their personal safety. As with any circumstances, it is up to the individual to decide how they wish to exercise their rights, taking into account the relevant security advice provided.

What guidance her Department has provided to police officers on engaging with political refugees or asylum seekers in relation to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

This Government takes the protection of individuals’ rights, safety and freedoms, including freedom of speech, very seriously. The UK is an open and diverse country and freedom of speech is one of the values that defines us as a society. We are absolutely committed to upholding free speech and legislation is in place to protect this fundamental right.While we do not comment on individual cases, police will rightly inform individuals if there is any assessed threat to their wellbeing in order to meet duty of care obligations. Memoranda of Understandings can form part of police’s routine approach in this context with officers providing guidance on steps individuals can consider to enhance their personal safety. As with any circumstances, it is up to the individual to decide how they wish to exercise their rights, taking into account the relevant security advice provided.

If she will make it her policy to allow the police to be (a) trained and (b) equipped to administer Naloxone.

The Government is supportive of police carriage and administration of naloxone - a lifesaving medicine that reverses the effects of opioid overdose. As of February 2025, police officers in forces across the country are now trained to carry and administer naloxone. Through the cross-Government Synthetic Opioids Taskforce, we are continuing to work closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council to support rollout of naloxone to police officers.Ultimately, the provision of naloxone for police officers is an operational decision for Chief Constables and the Government expects individual police Chiefs’ to allocate resources appropriately with regard to the local area and need.

What assessment he has made of potential merits of (a) enforcement and (b) early intervention in the prevention of knife crime.

Halving national levels of knife crime over the next decade is a key part of the Government’s mission to ensure the safety of our streets. Both early intervention and enforcement will be crucial in meeting this mission.On enforcement, we have implemented the ban on zombie-style knives and zombie-style machetes approved by Parliament in April. The ban came in to force on 24 September 2024 and it is now illegal to sell or own these weapons.We launched a consultation on 13 November 2024 seeking views on the legal description of a Ninja sword to help our plans for an effective ban.We know that more needs to be done to tackle the sale of knives online which is why last October, the Home Secretary commissioned Commander Stephen Clayman, as the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for knife crime, to carry out a full review into the online sale and delivery of knives. The report was received at the end of January and once we have considered the review in full, the Government will set out its next steps for strengthening the controls and processes around the online sale and delivery of knives.Ahead of this, the Home Secretary has already announced that the Government intends to strengthen age verification controls and checks for all online sellers of knives at the point of purchase and on delivery.We have also consulted on introducing personal liability measures on senior executives of online platforms or marketplaces who fail to take action to remove illegal content relating to knives and offensive weapons. The consultation closed on 11 December 2024, and we are carefully considering the responses as we plan our next steps.Additionally, the Home Secretary and Policing Minister have set up a new Knife-Enabled Robbery Taskforce, which brings together Chief Constables and other criminal justice partners to take immediate operational action to tackle the fastest rising type of knife crime. Working with the College of Policing, the Taskforce has completed a Call for Practice to establish what the evidence tells us works when tackling knife-enabled robbery.On early intervention, a new Young Futures programme has been created, which will include the establishment of Young Futures Prevention Partnerships across England and Wales, bringing partners together to intervene earlier to stop young people being drawn into crime. It is vital we have a system that can identify and support those young people who need it most.Independent evaluation found that Violent Reduction Units, in combination with additional hotspot police patrols, have delivered a statistically significant reduction in hospital admissions for violent injuries since funding began in 2019 (an estimated 3,220 admissions have been prevented in areas where the programmes operate).We recognise the valuable work and significant progress VRUs have made in understanding and preventing serious violence. The proposed Police Funding Settlement for 2025/26 includes £49.7m for the continuation of work to prevent serious violence, delivered via the VRU programme.The Youth Endowment Fund, was established to learn ‘what works’ in preventing children and young people becoming involved in violence and crime, as well as transforming the local and national response to serious violence through disseminating new knowledge and best practice. The Home Office works closely with the Youth Endowment Fund to ensure that their findings are carefully considered to positively influence services for young people.The Government will continue to draw on the best available evidence on both prevention and enforcement and will closely monitor trends in national and local levels of knife crime.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of existing knife crime prevention programmes.

Halving national levels of knife crime over the next decade is a key part of the Government’s mission to ensure the safety of our streets. Both early intervention and enforcement will be crucial in meeting this mission.On enforcement, we have implemented the ban on zombie-style knives and zombie-style machetes approved by Parliament in April. The ban came in to force on 24 September 2024 and it is now illegal to sell or own these weapons.We launched a consultation on 13 November 2024 seeking views on the legal description of a Ninja sword to help our plans for an effective ban.We know that more needs to be done to tackle the sale of knives online which is why last October, the Home Secretary commissioned Commander Stephen Clayman, as the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for knife crime, to carry out a full review into the online sale and delivery of knives. The report was received at the end of January and once we have considered the review in full, the Government will set out its next steps for strengthening the controls and processes around the online sale and delivery of knives.Ahead of this, the Home Secretary has already announced that the Government intends to strengthen age verification controls and checks for all online sellers of knives at the point of purchase and on delivery.We have also consulted on introducing personal liability measures on senior executives of online platforms or marketplaces who fail to take action to remove illegal content relating to knives and offensive weapons. The consultation closed on 11 December 2024, and we are carefully considering the responses as we plan our next steps.Additionally, the Home Secretary and Policing Minister have set up a new Knife-Enabled Robbery Taskforce, which brings together Chief Constables and other criminal justice partners to take immediate operational action to tackle the fastest rising type of knife crime. Working with the College of Policing, the Taskforce has completed a Call for Practice to establish what the evidence tells us works when tackling knife-enabled robbery.On early intervention, a new Young Futures programme has been created, which will include the establishment of Young Futures Prevention Partnerships across England and Wales, bringing partners together to intervene earlier to stop young people being drawn into crime. It is vital we have a system that can identify and support those young people who need it most.Independent evaluation found that Violent Reduction Units, in combination with additional hotspot police patrols, have delivered a statistically significant reduction in hospital admissions for violent injuries since funding began in 2019 (an estimated 3,220 admissions have been prevented in areas where the programmes operate).We recognise the valuable work and significant progress VRUs have made in understanding and preventing serious violence. The proposed Police Funding Settlement for 2025/26 includes £49.7m for the continuation of work to prevent serious violence, delivered via the VRU programme.The Youth Endowment Fund, was established to learn ‘what works’ in preventing children and young people becoming involved in violence and crime, as well as transforming the local and national response to serious violence through disseminating new knowledge and best practice. The Home Office works closely with the Youth Endowment Fund to ensure that their findings are carefully considered to positively influence services for young people.The Government will continue to draw on the best available evidence on both prevention and enforcement and will closely monitor trends in national and local levels of knife crime.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of knife bans on the level of knife-related incidents.

The legislation in this area is kept under review in the interests of public safety and in line with this we implemented a ban on zombie-style knives and zombie-style machetes on 24 September 2024 and it is now illegal to sell, supply, manufacture or own these weapons.The Government is also committed to banning Ninja swords, and following a consultation between 13 November and 11 December 2014, we are working on plans for an effective ban.The prohibition of certain types of knives and other bladed articles gives the police powers to seize the weapons and to prosecute offenders, a valuable tool in addressing knife crime and wider criminality.Statistics on knife related offences do not record the level of detail necessary to assess the effectiveness of specific knife bans.

What steps she is taking to help reduce knife crime in Sutton.

Halving knife crime over the next decade is a key part of the Government’s Safer Streets mission and we are taking a range of steps to realise this ambition.We have implemented the ban on zombie-style knives and zombie-style machetes approved by Parliament in April. The ban came in to force on 24 September 2024 and it is now illegal to sell or own these weapons.We launched a consultation on 13 November 2024 seeking views on the legal description of a Ninja sword to help our plans for an effective ban.We know that more needs to be done to tackle the sale of knives online which is why last October, the Home Secretary commissioned Commander Stephen Clayman, as the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for knife crime, to carry out a full review into the online sale and delivery of knives. The report was received at the end of January and once we have considered the review in full, the Government will set out its next steps for strengthening the controls and processes around the online sale and delivery of knives.Ahead of this, the Home Secretary has already announced that the Government intends to strengthen age verification controls and checks for all online sellers of knives at the point of purchase and on delivery.We have also consulted on introducing personal liability measures on senior executives of online platforms or marketplaces who fail to take action to remove illegal content relating to knives and offensive weapons. The consultation closed on 11 December 2024, and we are carefully considering the responses as we plan our next steps.Additionally, over £9.3m has been made available this financial year to the London Violence Reduction Unit (VRU). VRUs bring together police, local government, health, community leaders and other key partners to tackle violent crime and its underlying causes. London VRU is using this funding to deliver a range of interventions across all 32 boroughs to divert young people from a life of crime. This includes intensive mentoring by YOUthink for children and young people in Sutton to reduce re-offending.We have also created a new Young Futures programme, which will include the establishment of Young Futures Prevention Partnerships across England and Wales, bringing partners together to intervene earlier to stop young people being drawn into crime. It is vital we have a system that can identify and support those young people who need it most.