Written questions by Philp.

Whether landlords in Croydon are being offered rents above market rates to house asylum seekers.

The Home Office has a legal obligation to provide accommodation for asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute, whilst their claims are being processed.This Government is determined to restore order to the asylum system so that it operates swiftly, firmly and fairly. This includes our accommodation sites, as the Home Office continues to identify a range of options to minimise the use of hotels and ensure better use of public money, whilst maintaining sufficient accommodation to meet demand.Our accommodation strategy is to support exit from hotels and deliver a more sustainable model for asylum seekers, local partners, local authorities, and communities as a whole. We are working closely with Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to deliver this, with a focus on community cohesion.Accommodation providers are responsible for sourcing and securing suitable properties. They work closely with local authorities to ensure that local knowledge, intelligence and context inform procurement decisions, helping to place accommodation where it is most appropriate and sustainable.The procurement process is guided by principles of sustainability and measured growth, ensuring that accommodation is not only available but also suitable for long-term use and integrated within local communities.The latest published Immigration Statistics detail the number of supported asylum seekers accommodated in each local authority area. These statistics can be found at Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of asylum accommodation contracts on the private rented housing market in Croydon.

When this Government came to office, we inherited a system where hotels had become one of the primary means of providing asylum accommodation – with more than 400 in use in Autumn 2023 at a cost of almost £9 million per day – and where a 70 per cent collapse in asylum decision-making in the last months of the previous administration had driven that pressure up further.We have taken rapid action to address that chaos, in particular by speeding up the volume of asylum decision-making so that fewer people are stuck in limbo, dependent on support from the state, and so that more failed asylum-seekers can be removed from the UK, along with foreign national offenders and others with no right to be in our country.The number of hotels in use is now around half the peak reached under the previous Government, and we will take further action over the rest of this Parliament to end the use of asylum hotels entirely.We are continuing to work with a range of stakeholders to pursue that goal, while fulfilling our statutory obligations in the interim. Where the Home Office needs to use dispersed accommodation, it does so in accordance with the principle of Full Dispersal, announced by the previous government in 2022 to ensure that asylum seekers were more fairly distributed across the UK.We also continue to consult with local authorities, the police, and other interested parties to ensure that – wherever there are concerns over the impact of particular asylum accommodation sites on the local community, public safety and public amenities – all necessary actions are taken to address those concerns, and protect the security of each local area.

Whether Serco has been contracted to provide asylum seeker accommodation in Croydon.

When this Government came to office, we inherited a system where hotels had become one of the primary means of providing asylum accommodation – with more than 400 in use in Autumn 2023 at a cost of almost £9 million per day – and where a 70 per cent collapse in asylum decision-making in the last months of the previous administration had driven that pressure up further.We have taken rapid action to address that chaos, in particular by speeding up the volume of asylum decision-making so that fewer people are stuck in limbo, dependent on support from the state, and so that more failed asylum-seekers can be removed from the UK, along with foreign national offenders and others with no right to be in our country.The number of hotels in use is now around half the peak reached under the previous Government, and we will take further action over the rest of this Parliament to end the use of asylum hotels entirely.We are continuing to work with a range of stakeholders to pursue that goal, while fulfilling our statutory obligations in the interim. Where the Home Office needs to use dispersed accommodation, it does so in accordance with the principle of Full Dispersal, announced by the previous government in 2022 to ensure that asylum seekers were more fairly distributed across the UK.We also continue to consult with local authorities, the police, and other interested parties to ensure that – wherever there are concerns over the impact of particular asylum accommodation sites on the local community, public safety and public amenities – all necessary actions are taken to address those concerns, and protect the security of each local area.

How many asylum seekers have received NHS-funded IVF treatment since 5 July 2024.

Neither the Department nor NHS England holds data on who accesses in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority publishes information on the numbers and IVF cycles carried out, including whether they were privately or National Health Service funded, but this does not cover the immigration status of the patient.

What steps she is taking to establish an independent national inquiry into group-based child sexual exploitation.

On the 16 June the Home Secretary announced that she had accepted all 12 of Baroness Casey’s recommendations from her National Audit into Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.As part of this, and as recommended by Baroness Casey, the Government is moving swiftly to establish an Independent Commission on Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation under the Inquiries Act 2005.We are working closely with partners across government and beyond to develop the Terms of Reference, which will be shaped through engagement with the appointed Chair, victims and survivors, and other key stakeholders.Following the appointment of the independent Chair and the establishment of the inquiry structure, the Commission will begin considering evidence and data to select the first local areas for targeted investigations.Further details will be announced in due course.

If she will provide a breakdown of the number of foreign national offenders supervised by the Probation Service by nationality.

The latest published data on the nationality of offenders supervised by the Probation Service as at 31st December 2024 can be found at Table 6_9_Caseload_Nationality in the attached link: probation-Oct-to-Dec-2024.ods.Foreign nationals who commit crime should be in no doubt that the law will be enforced. Where appropriate, the Ministry of Justice will work with the Home Office to pursue their deportation. Since 5 July 2024, more FNOs have been returned than in the same period 12 months prior.

If she will provide a breakdown of offences by the nationality of the serving inmate.

Our current approach to publication of nationality data is in line with that used during the previous Conservative Government and does not include a breakdown of offences by nationality of prisoners. However, we are monitoring the data that we collect and publish on the prison population and will keep this under review.Foreign nationals who commit crime should be in no doubt that the law will be enforced. Where appropriate, the Ministry of Justice will work with the Home Office to pursue their deportation. Since 5 July 2024, more FNOs have been returned than in the same period 12 months prior.

What steps her Department is taking in relation to institutions that have sponsored high numbers of students who have later claimed asylum.

The Immigration White Paper, published on 12 May, sets out proposals for reform in a wide range of areas, including student visas, further details of which will be set out in due course.

If she will publish the number people who came to the UK on a study visa and later claimed asylum for each sponsoring institution.

The Immigration White Paper, published on 12 May, sets out proposals for reform in a wide range of areas, including student visas, further details of which will be set out in due course.

How many foreign national offenders are in (a) the community and (b) prison as of 31 March 2025, broken down by nationality.

The Ministry of Justice publishes information on the number of Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) in prison and the number of Foreign National Offenders supervised by the Probation Service as part of its Offender Management Statistics Quarterly. For the purposes of these statistics offenders supervised in the community include those subject to a court order or post release supervision by the Probation Service.The requested data can be found:Prison population (based on the prison population as of 31 March 2025; latest available published data) can be found at Table 1_Q_12 in the attached link: prison-population-31-Mar-2025.ods.Offenders supervised by the Probation Service (on 31 December 2024; latest available published data) can be found at Table 6_9_Caseload_Nationality in the attached link: probation-Oct-to-Dec-2024.ods. Probation data for the 31 March will not be available until 31 July when we publish data for 2025 Q1.Foreign nationals who commit crime should be in no doubt that the law will be enforced. Where appropriate, the Ministry of Justice will work with the Home Office to pursue their deportation. Between 5 July 2024 and 18 May 2025 more FNOs have been returned than in the same period 12 months prior under the previous Government. We are also investing £5 million in 82 new FNO Specialist roles in prisons to speed up the removal of prisoners who have no right to be in this country.

When she plans to implement the £38,000 family visa salary threshold.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 22 May to Question 52912.

With reference to the rules laid in Parliament on 12 March 2025 regarding social care, how a social care provider can prove that they have tried to recruit domestically before seeking to sponsor new recruits from overseas.

The Home Office will publish guidance for sponsors in line with the new rules coming into effect on 9 April.

With reference to the rules laid in Parliament on 12 March 2025 on care workers, how many social care workers have (a) been removed from the UK and (b) had their visas cancelled as a result of their sponsor losing their licence since 4 July 2024.

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.

With reference to the judgement in case UI-2024-005295 issued in the Upper Tribunal Immigration and Asylum Chamber on 13 January 2025, whether her Department has plans to appeal the judgement.

The Home Office does not routinely comment on individual cases or legal proceedings in which it is a participant.

If she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the Italian Government decision to use naval ships to transport migrants to Albania.

The Italian navy has competence for the transfer of migrants rescued in international waters to the centres in Albania run by the Italian government.As part of this Government’s expansion of international cooperation in the fight against Organised Immigration Crime, we constantly monitor the impact of the methods, techniques and technology that other partner nations and agencies are employing in that fight.The UK government is monitoring the Italian government implementation of their deal with Albania as an innovative approach to manage migration flows.

Pursuant to the Answer of % December 2024 to Question 16739 on Employment, what proportion of the increase in employment level is due to net immigration.

The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is responsible for producing forecasts of the UK economy. The OBR’s latest forecasts, including detail of its forecasts of employment and net migration, are set out in the OBR’s October 2024 Economic and Fiscal Outlook, available on the OBR’s website.

Whether she has plans to proscribe drug cartels as terrorist organisations.

The criteria for proscribing an organisation under the Terrorism Act 2000, and the Governments approach to commenting on those decisions remain exactly the same as they were when the Rt Hon Member was a Home Office Minister.

If she will use sanctions including visa penalties on countries that do not cooperate with the removal of their nationals.

Where cooperation with countries on returns falls below the levels expected, and where appropriate, we stand ready to use all levers available to us to encourage cooperation, including the power to impose visa penalties.

If she will accelerate deportations of (a) foreign national offenders and (b) illegal immigrants.

We pledged to deliver the highest rate of removals since 2018 and this has been surpassed, with a surge in returns activity since the election leading to nearly 19,000 people with no right to be in the UK being removed in the first six months this government was in office.That included 5,074 enforced returns of people with no legal right to remain in the UK, up 24% compared with the same period 12 months prior, and the removal of 2,925 foreign national offenders (FNOs) – a 21% increase on the same period 12 months prior (FNO returns include both enforced and voluntary returns).As part of the above, bespoke charter flights have removed immigration offenders to countries around the world, including 4 of the biggest returns flights in the UK’s history, carrying more than 800 people in total.This ramp-up reverses the decline in removals seen over the past 10 years and, as part of the government’s Plan for Change, is working to fix the foundations of a broken immigration system.Further details on this government’s returns activity since 5 July can be found here: Returns from the UK since 5 July 2024 - GOV.UK

If she will instruct the Southport public inquiry to make an assessment of the adequacy of public communications by the Government in the aftermath of those murders.

We are moving swiftly to set up the inquiry.We will consult the families and other interested parties on its scope to ensure all critical issues are addressed while remaining manageable and sensitive to the needs of those most affected.We will announce further details about the inquiry in due course.