Written questions by Rand.

Whether a standalone offence of assaulting a retail worker would apply to workers in community pharmacies.

Through our Crime and Policing Bill, this Government has introduced a new specific standalone offence of assaulting a retail worker to help tackle the epidemic of shop theft and violence towards shop workers that we have seen in recent years and protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores.Those working in pharmacies, where they are not otherwise captured by the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act will be covered by the new offence.

How many and what proportion of police officers (a) were eligible for and (b) took statutory paternity leave in each of the last five years; and what the average number of weeks taken were for the same time period.

The Home Office does not collect data on the number of police officers eligible for paternity leave or the length of time they were on paternity leave.

How many people left the police in each of the last five years; and whether her Department holds information on the five most common reasons given by those departing the police voluntarily.

The Home Office collects and publishes data on the number of police personnel who leave the police service in England and Wales, on an annual basis, in the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-workforce-england-and-walesInformation on the number of leavers, by worker type and reason for leaving (including voluntary resignations), between the years ending 31 March 2007 and 2024, can be found in the ‘Leavers Open Data Table’ here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64ba76662059dc000d5d27c0/open-data-table-police-workforce-leavers-260723.odsThe Home Office does not hold data on the specific reasons for voluntary resignations.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of using electronic travel authorisations on the speed in which Hong Kong (a) BNO status holders and (b) political prisoners can leave Hong Kong.

Electronic travel authorisations (ETAs) were expanded to all eligible non-European nationalities on 27 November, and will be a requirement for travel to the UK from 8 January. ETAs have been introduced to strengthen the UK’s border security and help prevent the arrival of those who present a threat to the UK. The application is quick and light-touch, and many applications are decided within minutes. Individuals who already have a UK immigration status, including a British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) visa, will not need to obtain an ETA to travel to the UK.