Written questions by Roome.

What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to minimise the risk of harm caused by alcohol sold through home delivery apps.

The Licensing Act 2003 regulates the sale and supply of alcohol. The Government recognises that consumer purchasing habits have evolved in recent years, particularly with a notable growth in alcohol sales made via online platforms and rapid delivery services.The Department for Health and Social Care, which has responsibility for policy on health harms, and the Home Office are looking at how current licensing rules apply to these services and monitoring emerging evidence on the impact they may be having on people’s health. I am clear that we will act where necessary to protect public safety.To this end, I will shortly hold a roundtable jointly with the Minister for Public Health and Prevention to consider solutions with healthcare professionals and experts in the field.

What plans her department has to provide additional funding under the Neighbourhood Policing Grant for 2026/27 to help meet the neighbourhood policing recruitment target given to Devon and Cornwall Police Force.

As part of the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, the Government has committed to delivering 13,000 additional neighbourhood policing personnel by the end of this Parliament.Funding available to Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) will be up to £18.4 billion in 2026-27, an increase of up to £796 million. In 2026-27 Devon and Cornwall Police will receive up to £483.5 million of funding, an increase of up to £19.4 million compared to 2025-26, which equates to a 4.2% cash increase, or a 1.9% real terms increaseFor Year 2 of the Neighbourhood Policing Grant, forces will be given their share of a £363 million ringfence. This funding is subject to forces delivering their share of growth in 2026-27, contributing to a total increase of 4,750 FTE from the March 2025 baseline. Devon and Cornwall Police have been allocated £8,590,680 of the Year 2 ringfence.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure police officers are trained to (a) recognise and (b) respond to the mental health needs of young people held in police custody.

It is the responsibility of the College of Policing for setting standards for police training and development, including the national policing curriculum, leadership standards and accreditations for those who work in high risk or specialist roles. It is then the responsibility of individual police forces for local delivery of training and ongoing development for all officers and staff with support from the College.The College’s core learning standards includes the initial training for officers under the Police Constable entry programme and incorporates content on autism, learning disabilities, mental health and other vulnerabilities. Officers are taught to assess vulnerability and adapt their approach accordingly, and guidance for Custody Sergeants covers additional legal responsibilities and safe detention, including fitness for detention and safeguarding.To support both the recognition and response to mental health needs, the College promotes frameworks for consistent identification of vulnerability and appropriate safeguarding action. Liaison and Diversion schemes commissioned by NHS England operate in custody suites to identify and refer individuals with mental health needs or other vulnerabilities to specialist support services. These schemes also provide advice to custody staff on how best to support people with these needs.When a death occurs in custody, the College’s Authorised Professional Practice sets out procedures for forces to follow. These include reporting deaths to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, investigating and analysing incidents, and implementing lessons learned.Policing is operationally independent, and chief constables decide on any additional training locally. His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services regularly inspects police forces, including on how they protect vulnerable people.

What additional (a) guidance and (b) training her Department provides to police forces following incidents in which a person has died following a period in police custody.

It is the responsibility of the College of Policing for setting standards for police training and development, including the national policing curriculum, leadership standards and accreditations for those who work in high risk or specialist roles. It is then the responsibility of individual police forces for local delivery of training and ongoing development for all officers and staff with support from the College.The College’s core learning standards includes the initial training for officers under the Police Constable entry programme and incorporates content on autism, learning disabilities, mental health and other vulnerabilities. Officers are taught to assess vulnerability and adapt their approach accordingly, and guidance for Custody Sergeants covers additional legal responsibilities and safe detention, including fitness for detention and safeguarding.To support both the recognition and response to mental health needs, the College promotes frameworks for consistent identification of vulnerability and appropriate safeguarding action. Liaison and Diversion schemes commissioned by NHS England operate in custody suites to identify and refer individuals with mental health needs or other vulnerabilities to specialist support services. These schemes also provide advice to custody staff on how best to support people with these needs.When a death occurs in custody, the College’s Authorised Professional Practice sets out procedures for forces to follow. These include reporting deaths to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, investigating and analysing incidents, and implementing lessons learned.Policing is operationally independent, and chief constables decide on any additional training locally. His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services regularly inspects police forces, including on how they protect vulnerable people.

What assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of police training relating to the care of vulnerable young people held in police custody.

It is the responsibility of the College of Policing for setting standards for police training and development, including the national policing curriculum, leadership standards and accreditations for those who work in high risk or specialist roles. It is then the responsibility of individual police forces for local delivery of training and ongoing development for all officers and staff with support from the College.The College’s core learning standards includes the initial training for officers under the Police Constable entry programme and incorporates content on autism, learning disabilities, mental health and other vulnerabilities. Officers are taught to assess vulnerability and adapt their approach accordingly, and guidance for Custody Sergeants covers additional legal responsibilities and safe detention, including fitness for detention and safeguarding.To support both the recognition and response to mental health needs, the College promotes frameworks for consistent identification of vulnerability and appropriate safeguarding action. Liaison and Diversion schemes commissioned by NHS England operate in custody suites to identify and refer individuals with mental health needs or other vulnerabilities to specialist support services. These schemes also provide advice to custody staff on how best to support people with these needs.When a death occurs in custody, the College’s Authorised Professional Practice sets out procedures for forces to follow. These include reporting deaths to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, investigating and analysing incidents, and implementing lessons learned.Policing is operationally independent, and chief constables decide on any additional training locally. His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services regularly inspects police forces, including on how they protect vulnerable people.

With reference to the Public Order Act and the proposed designation of “life sciences” as key national infrastructure, what evidence was used to conclude that existing police powers are inadequate to address disruptive protest activity affecting life sciences sites, including animal research and testing facilities.

On Thursday 27 November 2025, the Home Office laid an affirmative Statutory Instrument in Parliament to amend Section 7 and Section 8 of the Public Order Act 2023. This will amend the list of key national infrastructure within Section 7 of the Public Order Act 2023, to add the Life Sciences sector and define the Life Sciences sector in Section 8 of the Act.To ensure these powers are workable and proportionate, the Home Office undertook targeted engagement with the police, the Crown Prosecution Service, and the Office for Life Sciences as the relevant government unit between the Department of Health and Social Care, and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and authorities with executive responsibility in their respective fields. This engagement provided a broad and comprehensive understanding of the challenges being managed by the Life Sciences Sector.The government remains committed to safeguarding the right to peaceful protest while ensuring that public order and safety are maintained. The amendments to the Public Order Act 2023 reflect the balance between these priorities, responding directly to the evidence gathered from those responsible for maintaining public safety and order.

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2025 to Question 91633 on Police and Crime Commissioners: Cornwall and Devon, what assessment her Department has made of the (a) effectiveness and (b) accountability of Policing and Crime Boards.

Policing and Crime Boards will have the necessary powers and levers to maintain strong local oversight of policing. They will exercise the same core governance functions and duties as Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and will be supported by an appointed Policing and Crime Lead who will provide day-to-day oversight of the force. We have been clear that is not a return to the invisible, committee-based governance under previous police authorities.Policing and Crime Boards will bring together the elected council leaders in the force area, maintaining democratic accountability for policing as well as the benefit of being better able to join up governance of policing with other local services. We are working closely with the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government and the Local Government Association on the design and implementation of these arrangements, including ensuring that there will be robust scrutiny arrangements for Policing and Crime Boards.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of abolishing the office of Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall on savings to her Department.

The Government will work with local government and policing to design new Policing and Crime Boards in areas where it is not possible to transfer police governance functions to a mayor at the end of the current term of PCCs in 2028.The Government estimates that around £100m will be saved in this Parliament by moving to these new arrangements. This includes no longer running separate policing elections and by abolishing Police and Crime Panels. Once delivered, these changes are expected to achieve savings to the Home Office of around £20m a year, enough to fund around 320 extra police constables. Home Office officials will engage with the Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall and her office on the implications for Devon and Cornwall.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that the police are able to enforce bail conditions for people released on post-charge bail.

The Government ensures that policing has the powers, resources and guidance it needs to enforce bail conditions and keep people safe.There is wide discretion in law for police to impose bail conditions on suspects to protect victims and witnesses, prevent offending and to prevent the suspect from failing to appear in court. Bail conditions must be necessary, reasonable, proportionate and enforceable, and should be subject to regular review as the perceived risk posed by the suspect may change over time.Police have a range of powers under section 7 of the Bail Act 1976 to arrest a suspect in relation to suspected or anticipated breaches of bail conditions. This includes where there are reasonable grounds for believing the suspect is likely to break conditions, or where there are reasonable grounds for suspecting (a lower threshold) that conditions have been broken. Following arrest on these grounds, a suspect must be brought before a court within 24 hours, where a magistrate may remand them in custody or grant court bail.The College of Policing produces its Authorised Professional Practice (APP) to provide authoritative guidance the police. APP advises that bail conditions should be accompanied by a police action plan to ensure effective enforcement. This is intended to ensure that victims can have improved confidence that the police will take action in the event of a breach, and that perpetrators understand that there are consequences to their actions. Action plans may include curfew checks at home addresses, proactive patrols to exclusion zones and scrutiny into whether conditions such as signing on bail at a police station are being maintained.Policing is operationally independent of Government. Chief Constables and elected Police and Crime Commissioners are responsible for the operational management of their police officers and the enforcement of bail conditions.

Whether her Department plans to include the Skilled Worker Visa occupation code SOC 9119 under the Temporary Shortage Occupation List.

On 2 July the Government commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee to review the long term composition of the Temporary Shortage List (TSL).In future, as the Immigration White Paper sets out, for occupations with a skills requirement of RQF 3-5 (below degree level) where there have been long term shortages, we will only permit use of the Points-Based immigration system on a time limited basis where the MAC has advised it is justified, where there is a workforce strategy in place, and where employers seeking to recruit from abroad are committed to playing their part in increasing recruitment from the domestic workforce. Sectors will only be potentially added to the Temporary Shortage list if they are key to the industrial strategy or delivering critical infrastructure and following advice from the MAC.I would encourage you to write to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on workforce matters for the fishing sector.

Whether her Department plans to include the Skilled Worker Visa occupation code SOC 5433 under the Temporary Shortage Occupation List.

On 2 July the Government commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee to review the long term composition of the Temporary Shortage List (TSL).In future, as the Immigration White Paper sets out, for occupations with a skills requirement of RQF 3-5 (below degree level) where there have been long term shortages, we will only permit use of the Points-Based immigration system on a time limited basis where the MAC has advised it is justified, where there is a workforce strategy in place, and where employers seeking to recruit from abroad are committed to playing their part in increasing recruitment from the domestic workforce. Sectors will only be potentially added to the Temporary Shortage list if they are key to the industrial strategy or delivering critical infrastructure and following advice from the MAC.I would encourage you to write to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on workforce matters for the fishing sector.

When she will publish the Rural Crime Strategy.

The Government is committed to tackling rural crime, safeguarding rural areas through tougher measures to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, strengthened neighbourhood policing and action to prevent fly-tipping.That is why we are working closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) to deliver the next iteration of their Rural and Wildlife Crime strategy.The strategy will set out operational and organisational policing priorities in respect of tackling crimes that predominantly affect rural communities, as well as ensuring Government priorities under our Safer Streets Mission are reflected.In addition, we are providing funding of £800,000 in the current financial year to the National Rural and National Wildlife Crime Units. This will ensure these specialist units continue to help police forces tackle rural and wildlife crime, including helping to combat organised theft and disrupt the activities of serious and organised crime groups.

When the Migration Advisory Committee will conduct the next review of the Skilled Worker visa: immigration salary list.

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) are currently undertaking a number of reviews. Their current review of shortages in IT and engineering occupations includes scope to consider whether the Immigration Salary List should remain in its current form. We will consider future reviews of the list once this review has been concluded.

With reference to page 16 of the English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, whether her Department plans to abolish the role of Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall.

Since their introduction, Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) have brought greater local accountability to policing and we recognise the important role they play as the elected voice of their local communities.The English Devolution White Paper sets out an ambition that where geographies of mayoral strategic authorities align with police forces, Mayors will, by default, exercise PCC functions. This does not abolish the role of Police and Crime Commissioner, but rather incorporates the functions as part of the role of the mayor, where one is established. We believe this offers wider levers to tackle and prevent crime and anti-social behaviour, whilst preserving directly elected oversight for policing.Government will engage with partners across England, including in Devon and Cornwall, to agree devolution proposals that are right for the area.