Written questions by Stafford.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of poor mobile signal on police capacity to (a) respond to and (b) manage rural crime.

This Government is committed to reducing crime in rural areas. Our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee will deliver 13,000 more neighbourhood police by the end of the Parliament, whilst also ensuring each community, including rural communities, has a named, contactable officer to turn to. Rural communities can be assured that visible, neighbourhood policing is returning to our communities.The Emergency Services Network (ESN) has been planned to provide coverage to the whole of the UK providing effective mobile services for all of the emergency services. EE’s Network is being upgraded to support the ESN radio infrastructure across the country. Supplementary to this the Home Office are managing and deploying an extra 292 sites filling in the coverage not spots within the most rural parts of Great Britain, ensuring these areas have coverage levels that support effective communications for the Emergency Services.Additionally, the core Airwave network service, funded by the Home Office, provides vehicle levels of radio coverage across the entirety of Great Britain and this is well understood by all Police forces. Several forces have elected to enhance this coverage to provide hand-held contractual coverage depending on their own operational need and practices.The delivery of ESN has estimated total economic benefits of £2.4 billion (present values) most of which are from ESN 999-calls. Additional identified benefits of connecting ESN 999-calls to police in England and all emergency services in Scotland and Wales, are currently being assessed and will add considerably to the programme’s future monetisable benefits. The strategic case around providing a prompt and high quality 999 service, the obsolescence risk of TETRA and other significant non-monetised benefits, further enhance the value for money assessment.

What steps her Department is taking to tackle (a) the use of pro-Hamas slogans, (b) other public displays of support and (c) online displays of support for Hamas.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer that I gave to the Rt Hon Member for Fareham and Waterlooville on 7 May in response to Question 48984.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of limiting sponsored workers to 20 hours of secondary employment on migrant workers; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of permitting additional regulated employment to support those workers to meet living costs.

The salary rules we have in place on many sponsored work routes are designed to ensure workers are paid enough from their primary sponsored employment to be able to support themselves without needing to take second jobs.The rules are designed to strike a balance between allowing sponsored workers to take on additional work if they wish, while ensuring the main purpose of their stay in the UK remains the primary sponsored work for which their visas were issued.As well as working their contracted hours sponsored workers can work overtime with their sponsoring employer and can apply to work any number of hours in secondary employment with another licensed sponsor. This arrangement does not count as supplementary employment, therefore they can work as many hours as they agree with their employer, subject to working time regulations.Further people can also undertake up to 20 hours supplementary employment. This was expanded in Spring 2024 to allow people in the Skilled Worker route to do supplementary employment in any eligible occupation instead of it having to be the same occupation or a job on the Shortage Occupation List as used to be the case.

What recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme in enabling (a) parents and (b) carers to access information about people who may pose a risk to children.

The Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme, introduced in 2011, allows members of the public to make an application to police for information about a person who has contact with a child.To capture better data in order to review the efficacy of the Scheme, an Annual Data Requirement for police forces was introduced in April 2021, requiring police forces in England and Wales to submit data on the number of applications made, how many related to registered sex offenders and how many resulted in disclosure.Following consultation with law enforcement and third sector partners, the police guidance and supporting documents for the scheme were updated and published in April 2023. This included supporting the introduction of online applications to the scheme, making it easier for the public to raise a concern, while also reducing the timeframe for applications to be processed and formalising proactive disclosure processes to ensure that information is provided to the right people at the right time to protect children from harm.Through the Crime and Policing Bill, this government is going further to strengthen the scheme by seeking to place it on a statutory footing. This means that chief officers will have a statutory duty to have due regard to the guidance.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme on the number of trade visitors from the EU entering the UK.

Electronic travel authorisations (ETAs) have been introduced to enhance our ability to screen travellers upstream and stop those who pose a threat from travelling to the UK. In addition, by knowing more about people in advance of travel our ambition is to increase automation of passenger clearance at the border. This will improve the end-to-end experience for legitimate passengers and promote the UK as a top destination for tourism and business passengers. The experience of other countries to have implemented similar schemes (such as the USA) gives us confidence that volumes of business visitors will not be negatively impacted.The application is quick and light-touch, and many applications are decided within minutes. Since the scheme’s introduction until the end of 2024, over 1.1 million ETAs have been granted.The Home Office published an initial impact assessment on the introduction of ETAs, and a further Impact Assessment was published alongside the Fee Regulations in March that increased the chargeable ETA fee (alongside other fees) - The Immigration, Nationality and Passport (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2025.

Whether her Department plans to review the (a) criteria and (b) process under which information on sex offenders is disclosed to the public under the Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme.

The Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme, introduced in 2011, allows members of the public to make an application to police for information about a person who has contact with a child.To capture better data in order to review the efficacy of the Scheme, an Annual Data Requirement for police forces was introduced in April 2021, requiring police forces in England and Wales to submit data on the number of applications made, how many related to registered sex offenders and how many resulted in disclosure.Following consultation with law enforcement and third sector partners, the police guidance and supporting documents for the scheme were updated and published in April 2023. This included supporting the introduction of online applications to the scheme, making it easier for the public to raise a concern, while also reducing the timeframe for applications to be processed and formalising proactive disclosure processes to ensure that information is provided to the right people at the right time to protect children from harm.Through the Crime and Policing Bill, this government is going further to strengthen the scheme by seeking to place it on a statutory footing. This means that chief officers will have a statutory duty to have due regard to the guidance.

What recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Justice on balancing public access to information on registered sex offenders with (a) data protection and (b) community safety.

Registered sex offenders (RSOs) are managed under the multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA). Under these arrangements, police, prison, probation service practitioners undertake a formal assessment of the risk posed by an RSO. Information about RSOs is held on ViSOR, the UK-wide database system used to store and share information and intelligence on those individuals managed under MAPPA.The police have common law disclosure powers that allow them to share relevant information with the public when they think there is a credible risk of harm, such as through the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (DVDS) and the Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme (CSODS). With regard to RSOs, the police must ensure that the disclosure of their conviction history is necessary to protect the person from being the victim of a crime, that there is a pressing need for the disclosure. Any decision to disclose under the scheme will be made based on the facts of each individual case, and the police can seek legal advice where necessary.

Pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2025 to Question 32890 on Homes for Ukraine Scheme, whether her Department plans to publish eligibility criteria for Ukrainian nationals resident in the UK wishing to transition to alternative routes to settlement after the expiry of the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the absence of a bespoke long-term route on Ukrainians in the UK.

We recognise the Ukrainian government’s desire for the future return of its citizens to Ukraine. It is important our approach respects these wishes.This is why our offer of temporary sanctuary under the Ukraine Schemes does not lead to settlement in the UK. Similarly, time spent in the UK with permission granted under the Ukraine Schemes cannot be relied upon towards the continuous qualifying period for the purposes of a Long Residence application.Those granted permission under one of the Ukraine Schemes, which provide full rights to work and study, can apply to switch into other visa routes for which they qualify even if their visa does not normally allow them to do so. The link to the page providing further guidance for Ukrainian nationals who are in the UK with a visa is here: Ukrainian nationals in the UK: visa support - GOV.UK.We keep the Ukraine schemes under continuous review in line with the ongoing conflict.

What steps the UK Border Force has taken to tackle Channel crossings by irregular migrants since 1 April 2025.

The Home Office publishes the number of Channel crossings on a daily basis. Since 1 April, the UK Border Force has continued to work with their French counterparts and other partners around the world to take action against the organised immigration crime groups responsible for the cross-Channel trade, disrupting their supply chains and dismantling their networks.

How many Channel crossings by irregular migrants have taken place since 1 January 2025.

The Home Office publishes the number of Channel crossings on a daily basis. Since 1 April, the UK Border Force has continued to work with their French counterparts and other partners around the world to take action against the organised immigration crime groups responsible for the cross-Channel trade, disrupting their supply chains and dismantling their networks.

What recent discussions her Department has had with (a) Surrey Police and (b) XPS Administration on the service provided to (i) police pension claimants and (ii) people awaiting a remediable service statement.

While the Home Office has responsibility for overarching policy and legislative changes to the police pension regulations, the police pension scheme is locally administered by individual police forces. The Home Office is working with the policing sector to support the effective implementation of the McCloud remedy and associated compensation payments for all affected individuals.It is for each Chief Constable, in their role as scheme manager for their force, to determine their administrative timetable, in accordance with the Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022, including issuing remediable service statements, as well as when remedy payments and compensation payments will be paid.

What discussions her Department has had with (a) Surrey Police and (b) XPS Pensions on the time taken to provide compensation for police pension claimants in Surrey.

While the Home Office has responsibility for overarching policy and legislative changes to the police pension regulations, the police pension scheme is locally administered by individual police forces. The Home Office is working with the policing sector to support the effective implementation of the McCloud remedy and associated compensation payments for all affected individuals.It is for each Chief Constable, in their role as scheme manager for their force, to determine their administrative timetable, in accordance with the Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022, including issuing remediable service statements, as well as when remedy payments and compensation payments will be paid.

What steps her Department is taking to tackle (a) crime networks and (b) money laundering systems operating behind (i) barbers and (ii) nail shops.

Addressing cash-based money laundering is one of the strategic priorities of the National Economic Crime Centre, which sits within the National Crime Agency and who are currently working with partners to facilitate an increased operational response to this threat.In parallel the National Police Chiefs Council economic crime co-ordinators are engaged in the development of Clear Hold Build strategies to help police forces tackle serious and organised crime.Clear Hold Build aims to reclaim and rebuild neighbourhoods affected by organised crime and increase public confidence in the police and partner agencies. This includes tackling financial crime on the high street.

What steps her Department is taking to clarify long-term residency options for Ukrainian refugees in the UK beyond December 2026.

We recognise the Ukrainian government’s desire for the future return of its citizens to Ukraine. It is important our approach respects these wishes. This is why the temporary Ukraine Schemes do not lead to settlement in the UK. Similarly, time spent in the UK with permission granted under the Ukraine Schemes cannot be relied upon towards the continuous qualifying period for the purposes of a Long Residence application. There are other routes available for those who wish to settle in the UK permanently, if they meet the requirements.

What steps her Department plans to take to monitor individuals on the Prevent programme.

All Prevent referrals are triaged and assessed by specialist Prevent officers from Counter Terrorism Police. The launch of the new Prevent Assessment Framework across all CT Police regions gives Prevent officers more robust tools and training to triage and risk assess the various Prevent referrals they receive.At present, if a radicalisation risk is identified, the Prevent referral will be progressed to the Channel programme, where the case will be assessed by a multi-agency Channel panel. The Channel panel is chaired by the local authority and works with multi‐agency partners to collectively assess an individual’s risk and decide whether an intervention is necessary. If a Channel intervention is required, the panel works with local partners to develop an appropriate tailored support package. The support package is monitored closely and reviewed regularly by the panel, including after case closure. The panel will review closed Channel cases at both 6 and 12 months after closure. If any radicalisation concerns are found during the review period, the case will be reopened. Panels also have the discretion to extend the period of review up to two years.In addition, the Home Office are launching new pilots to provide additional assurance and review points within the Prevent referral journey, including for those assessed as not meeting Prevent thresholds, but where other vulnerabilities may still exist. The pilots will launch in several local authority areas this month. This includes additional assurance for the handling of cases where people are repeatedly referred into Prevent. We will also be working to achieve better assurance for cases that have been closed to Prevent but require non-CT support from local services, ensuring that re-referral to Prevent is made should any CT concerns re-emerge. An end-to-end review of Prevent thresholds is also underway and will report internally in April. This will look at strengthening our approach to repeat referrals, and ensuring clear and unambiguous guidance and training is in place for the full range of threats we face, from Islamist extremism to fixation with mass violence.

If she will publish perpetrator ethnicity data for (a) grooming and (b) sexual violence collected by the Tackling Organised Exploitation Programme.

The Tackling Organised Exploitation Programme (TOEX) continues to work to develop a whole system approach to improving intelligence, analysis, and tasking to enhance the law enforcement response to the exploitation of vulnerable people, including sexual exploitation and abuse. This includes supporting the work of the Child Sexual Exploitation Police Taskforce to give practical, expert, and on the ground support for local forces investigating child sexual abuse, with a focus on complex and organised child sexual exploitation.In November 2024, the Taskforce published its latest 2023 data on group-based offending, including any offence with two or more perpetrators. That data is available publicly online via https://www.hydrantprogramme.co.uk/publications/hydrant-publications#LatestNews) which includes available data on ethnicity. The Government will be working with the Taskforce to improve data collection, including seeking to improve the accuracy and comprehensiveness of data on ethnicity.

With reference to the oral contribution by the Minister for Border Security and Asylum to the Urgent Question on Asylum Seekers: Hotel Accommodation of 20 November 2024, Official Report, column 279, whether she plans to publish statistics that include reference to the 10,000 returns in the last period.

The statistic that I referred to in the question referenced an ad-hoc statistical release published by the Home Office on 4 November containing data on enforced and voluntary returns between 5 July and 28 October 2024, which can be accessed here: Returns from the UK between July and October 2024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Whether her Department taking steps to prevent (a) members of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan and (b) others involved in violent incidents against Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan from entering the UK.

The Home Office does not comment on individual cases. The Immigration Rules provide for the refusal of entry clearance, permission to enter and permission to stay on general grounds, regardless of the category in which an individual makes an application. A person will usually be refused on general grounds if there is any evidence in their background, immigration history, criminal records or past behaviour which shows that they should not be allowed to enter or stay in the UK.