Written questions by Lewis.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of mandatory digital ID in tackling illegal immigration.

The Digital ID programme is part of a broader strategy to tackle illegal immigration. By making it harder for people without the right to work to gain employment, the government plans to reduce incentives for unlawful entry. Mandating digital ID for right to work checks will strengthen our current approach by:o Acting as a deterrent to would-be migrants hoping to work in the UK illegally.o Ensuring consistency and simplifying the checks that employers must carry out, making it easier for UK citizens and legal residents to demonstrate they have the right to work.o Removing the reliance on physical documents in the UK, making it harder for forged documents to be used as proof of right to work. The Government will start a public consultation on the new digital ID by the end of the year, and has begun engaging with several key stakeholders already.

What data the Government holds on the percentage of prison officers employed via the worker visa route.

Published visa data is available at Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK.

What assessment she has made with the Secretary of State for Justice of the potential impact of recent changes to the eligibility criteria for skilled worker visas on prison staff.

On 12 May, the Government published our Immigration White Paper, outlining our future approach to legal migration routes. On 22 July the first phase of changes took effect, including raising the threshold for Skilled Worker visas to graduate level occupations.Prison service officers are classed as a medium skilled role and are not on the Temporary Shortage List (TSL) or Immigration Salary List (ISL). Therefore, workers with general work rights will not be able to switch to the Skilled Worker route.Those on Skilled Worker visas before 22 July 2025 and who need to extend their stay can continue to apply in medium skilled roles and will have to meet the salary requirements in place at the time they apply.It is our intention to publish an Impact Assessment (IA) at the earliest opportunity. A technical annex (www.gov.uk/government/publications/restoring-control-over-the-immigration-system-white-paper/restoring-control-over-the-immigration-system-technical-annex) was published alongside the Immigration White Paper setting out the impact of some of the key policy changes.

Whether Bedfordshire Police consulted her Department on appointing Palantir for a pilot scheme trialling AI technology.

The Government is committed to ensuring that law enforcement has the resources it needs to tackle crime effectively. AI presents an opportunity to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of policing and law enforcement – from automating back-office tasks freeing up time for officers to be on the front line and live language translation enabling better interactions with those unable to speak English, through to applications like facial recognition and CCTV analysis, helping police to catch more criminals and speed up investigations to bring offenders to justice.Bedfordshire Police consulted the Home Office on appointing Palantir for a pilot scheme trialling AI technology, and this was agreed. While it remains the responsibility of individual police forces to comply with the ‘Covenant for Using AI in Policing’, the Home Office received assurances that Bedfordshire Police are meeting these requirements.

What (a) safeguards and (b) oversight her Department has in place to monitor the deployment of AI systems by police forces.

It is for operationally independent Chief Constables to decide when and how they deploy AI systems. They are accountable to elected Police and Crime Commissioners.AI deployment must be lawful, transparent, ethical and underpinned by robust data and governance arrangements. These principles are set out in the ‘Covenant for Using AI in Policing’ which all Chief Constables have signed. The Home Office is working closely with the AI portfolio of the National Police Chief’s Council and the Police Chief Scientific Advisor to ensure policing has the resources and support it needs to abide by these principles consistently. This includes working with a range of academics from leading universities on a ‘responsible AI checklist’ and producing a detailed ‘AI playbook for policing’, akin to those produced for other government departments.AI-enabled technologies like facial recognition are valuable tools in modern policing, helping the police to quickly identify suspects and keep our communities safe. While existing laws provide a framework for its use, we recognise the need for clarity and are engaging closely with stakeholders to ensure facial recognition operates on a firm legal footing. We will set out our plans in the coming months alongside a broader package of reforms in our forthcoming White Paper on policing.

Whether the deployment of AI systems will be decided by individual police forces.

It is for operationally independent Chief Constables to decide when and how they deploy AI systems. They are accountable to elected Police and Crime Commissioners.AI deployment must be lawful, transparent, ethical and underpinned by robust data and governance arrangements. These principles are set out in the ‘Covenant for Using AI in Policing’ which all Chief Constables have signed. The Home Office is working closely with the AI portfolio of the National Police Chief’s Council and the Police Chief Scientific Advisor to ensure policing has the resources and support it needs to abide by these principles consistently. This includes working with a range of academics from leading universities on a ‘responsible AI checklist’ and producing a detailed ‘AI playbook for policing’, akin to those produced for other government departments.AI-enabled technologies like facial recognition are valuable tools in modern policing, helping the police to quickly identify suspects and keep our communities safe. While existing laws provide a framework for its use, we recognise the need for clarity and are engaging closely with stakeholders to ensure facial recognition operates on a firm legal footing. We will set out our plans in the coming months alongside a broader package of reforms in our forthcoming White Paper on policing.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals relating to police use of (a) AI and (b) machine learning technology.

It is for operationally independent Chief Constables to decide when and how they deploy AI systems. They are accountable to elected Police and Crime Commissioners.AI deployment must be lawful, transparent, ethical and underpinned by robust data and governance arrangements. These principles are set out in the ‘Covenant for Using AI in Policing’ which all Chief Constables have signed. The Home Office is working closely with the AI portfolio of the National Police Chief’s Council and the Police Chief Scientific Advisor to ensure policing has the resources and support it needs to abide by these principles consistently. This includes working with a range of academics from leading universities on a ‘responsible AI checklist’ and producing a detailed ‘AI playbook for policing’, akin to those produced for other government departments.AI-enabled technologies like facial recognition are valuable tools in modern policing, helping the police to quickly identify suspects and keep our communities safe. While existing laws provide a framework for its use, we recognise the need for clarity and are engaging closely with stakeholders to ensure facial recognition operates on a firm legal footing. We will set out our plans in the coming months alongside a broader package of reforms in our forthcoming White Paper on policing.

What discussions her Department has had with Palantir on the use of its technology by law enforcement.

It is for operationally independent Chief Constables to decide when and how they deploy AI systems. They are accountable to elected Police and Crime Commissioners.AI deployment must be lawful, transparent, ethical and underpinned by robust data and governance arrangements. These principles are set out in the ‘Covenant for Using AI in Policing’ which all Chief Constables have signed. The Home Office is working closely with the AI portfolio of the National Police Chief’s Council and the Police Chief Scientific Advisor to ensure policing has the resources and support it needs to abide by these principles consistently. This includes working with a range of academics from leading universities on a ‘responsible AI checklist’ and producing a detailed ‘AI playbook for policing’, akin to those produced for other government departments.AI-enabled technologies like facial recognition are valuable tools in modern policing, helping the police to quickly identify suspects and keep our communities safe. While existing laws provide a framework for its use, we recognise the need for clarity and are engaging closely with stakeholders to ensure facial recognition operates on a firm legal footing. We will set out our plans in the coming months alongside a broader package of reforms in our forthcoming White Paper on policing.

Whether she plans to publish a formal follow-up to the Baroness Casey Review into policing; and what mechanisms are currently in place to (a) track and (b) publicly report on progress against its recommendations.

The Baroness Casey Review, commissioned by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to independently review its culture and standards, made a series of important and concerning findings. Any subsequent follow-up is a matter for the MPS, in conjunction with the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC)The Government has committed to improving police accountability, with new regulations on the dismissal of police officers who fail vetting laid last month. In addition, further regulations to strengthen the misconduct and performance systems are due to come into force later this monthIt is the responsibility of His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) to assess the operational performance of police forces in England and Wales. The performance of the MPS is assessed by HMICFRS, which last published a Police Effectiveness Efficiency and Legitimacy inspection (PEEL) report for the MPS in August 2024. HMICFRS released the MPS from its enhanced monitoring process known as ‘Engage’ in January 2025 after making improvements against recommendations set by the Inspectorate. The force has now returned to the routine stage of HMICFRS’ continuous monitoring process. The next PEEL report for the MPS is expected to be published during the next inspection cycle (2025-2027).

Whether her Department plans to conduct a Child Rights Impact Assessment before the potential authorisation of Taser 10 for use by police forces in England and Wales.

Government decisions on whether to approve Taser for police use are informed by robust, independent technical and medical testing and assessments alongside an equality impact assessment which sets out any implications for those with protected characteristics, including age.

Whether a child's rights impact assessment has been prepared for the Crime and Policing Bill.

A number of economic impact assessments, economic notes and equality impact assessments covering measures in the Crime and Policing Bill have been published, and can be found here: https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3938/publications.The Government has also published a human rights memorandum covering the measures in the Bill.

What steps she is taking to increase (a) transparency and (b) accountability in her Department.

The Home Office regularly reports on its performance through the annual report and accounts which are published each year on gov.uk and provide a narrative on the finances and performance of the Home Office.

Whether her Department has sought legal advice on the compatibility of the use of (a) predictive policing and (b) risk prediction systems by police forces with (i) national and (ii) international human rights obligations.

AI, and other technologies, can provide a wide range of benefits to improve efficiency and productivity in policing, as well as boosting public confidence by improving the prevention, detection and investigation of crime. However, the procurement and deployment of AI technology to assist with forecasting potential areas of crime or disorder, commonly known as ‘predictive policing’, must always be subject to strong safeguards.The AI Covenant for Policing was agreed at National Police Chiefs Council in September 2023. This provides practical high-level principles that, if followed, will ensure that the police develop and use AI tools that are lawful, transparent, explainable, responsible, accountable and robust. The Home Office has provided funding to support the National Police Chiefs Council AI Portfolio to drive consistency and create guidance for forces to develop and deploy AI tools, and we are undertaking further detailed work in this area. There are a number of essential wider protections in place, including the Public Sector Equality Duty, to ensure that all Government policies take account of the human rights impacts on individuals.

What steps she has taken since July 2024 to implement (a) recommendation 7 and (b) other recommendations of the Windrush Lessons Learned Review, published on 19 July 2018.

This government is determined to put right the appalling injustices caused by the treatment of members of the Windrush community, making sure that those affected receive the compensation they deserve quickly, and ensuring cultural change is embedded permanently into the fabric of the Home Office.We have established a new Windrush Unit in the department who are undertaking a review of all 30 recommendations in the Windrush Lessons Learned Review. This includes an assessment of the response to Recommendation 7. We will assess how far the department has come and identify those recommendations which require more work.Last month we also launched the recruitment for a Windrush Commissioner, which marks a vital step in resetting the government’s response to the Home Office Windrush scandal. The Commissioner will serve as an independent advocate for those affected, assure delivery of the Windrush Compensation Scheme and hold the department to account as we learn the lessons of the past to drive improvements.

What steps she is taking to monitor the compliance of use of predictive policing and risk prediction sytems by police forces with the UK's national and international human rights obligations.

AI, and other technologies, can provide a wide range of benefits to improve efficiency and productivity in policing, as well as boosting public confidence by improving the prevention, detection and investigation of crime. However, the procurement and deployment of AI technology to assist with forecasting potential areas of crime or disorder, commonly known as ‘predictive policing’, must always be subject to strong safeguards.The AI Covenant for Policing was agreed at National Police Chiefs Council in September 2023. This provides practical high-level principles that, if followed, will ensure that the police develop and use AI tools that are lawful, transparent, explainable, responsible, accountable and robust. The Home Office has provided funding to support the National Police Chiefs Council AI Portfolio to drive consistency and create guidance for forces to develop and deploy AI tools, and we are undertaking further detailed work in this area. There are a number of essential wider protections in place, including the Public Sector Equality Duty, to ensure that all Government policies take account of the human rights impacts on individuals.

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 September 2024 to Question 2952 on Asylum: Temporary Accommodation, what alternative accommodation her Department plans to use to enable a reduction in the use of hotels; and how much funding she plans to provide for this purpose in each of the next three financial years.

The Home Office is determined to return to using dispersed asylum accommodation and is working with local authorities and partners to find solutions to provide accommodation for asylum seekers across the entire country which work for everyone. We have a comprehensive funding package for local authorities who help to support asylum seekers in their area. We are taking immediate action to clear the asylum backlog which will help reduce the use of asylum accommodation and ensure better use of public money.