Every parliamentary written question tabled by Iqbal Mohamed this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1–18 of 18 · Home Office
What oversight mechanisms she has introduced to monitor compliance with (a) data protection, (b) equalities and (c) human rights obligations in the use of facial recognition technology.
The Government has not issued specific guidance on the ethical deployment of surveillance technologies, including facial recognition. However, when using these technologies, police forces must comply with data protection, equality, human rights and other ...
What safeguards she has introduced to help ensure that digital forensic tools cannot be used for (a) remote access and (b) bulk data collection beyond lawful investigations.
All digital forensic activity must comply with existing legislation, including the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, the Investigatory Powers Act 2016, the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, and the Data Protection Act 2018.
Whether Israeli companies have supplied (a) surveillance, (b) digital forensics and (c) facial-recognition technology to UK police forces since 2020.
The Home Office does not collect information on the nationality of companies supplying technology to UK police forces and law enforcement bodies. The procurement of technologies is a matter for individual organisations, having considered the legal, ethica...
Which UK police forces and law-enforcement bodies have (a) procured and (b) used (i) surveillance, (ii) digital forensics and (iii) facial-recognition technologies supplied by overseas companies since
The Home Office does not collect information on the nationality of companies supplying technology to UK police forces and law enforcement bodies. The procurement of technologies is a matter for individual organisations, having considered the legal, ethica...
Whether she has issued UK-wide guidance on the ethical deployment of surveillance technologies by police forces.
The Government has not issued specific guidance on the ethical deployment of surveillance technologies, including facial recognition. However, when using these technologies, police forces must comply with data protection, equality, human rights and other ...
Whether her Department has advised any police forces not to activate facial recognition functions within surveillance software.
The Home Office has not issued advice to police forces on the activation of specific facial recognition functions within surveillance software.The use of facial recognition technology by police forces is an operational matter for chief constables, who are...
Whether her Department assesses the (a) ethical and (b) human-rights context in which surveillance technologies developed by overseas companies were (i) developed and (ii) deployed before procuring su
On 4 December last year, the Government launched a public consultation on when and how biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies should be used, and what safeguards and oversight are needed. The consultation has now closed and a formal Gover...
What guidance her Department has given to the Metropolitan Police on (a) governance, (b) retention and (c) oversight arrangements on continuous integrity screening in the Metropolitan Police's Unified
Police Forces are operationally independent, and the Home Office does not monitor whether ethical reviews have been conducted by Police Forces, nor has the department issued guidance on the Metropolitan Police’s governance, retention or oversight arrangem...
What information her Department holds on whether an ethical review of the Palantir Unified Data Platform trial with the Metropolitan police has been completed.
Police Forces are operationally independent, and the Home Office does not monitor whether ethical reviews have been conducted by Police Forces, nor has the department issued guidance on the Metropolitan Police’s governance, retention or oversight arrangem...
Whether the Met’s Data Protection Impact Assessment of its Unified Data Platform trial with Palantir has been reviewed and, where necessary, updated and re-approved by the Data protection Officr to re
Police Forces are operationally independent, and the Home Office does not review their Data Protection Impact Assessments and does not hold this information.
What categories of personal and special category data have been ingested by or made available to Palantir in its Unified Data Platform trial with the Metropolitan police, and whether a summary can be
Police Forces are operationally independent, and the Home Office does not review their Data Protection Impact Assessments and does not hold this information.
What guidance exists on recording and publishing local supplier risk assessments when procuring AI or data platforms via central frameworks.
The Government has issued cross‑government guidance on managing risk in procurements, including where Artificial Intelligence (AI) or data platforms are involved. This applies equally to procurements via central frameworks. Contracting authorities are exp...
With regard to the Animals in Science Regulation Unit Annual Report 2024, published in December 2025, how the number of unannounced audits in 2024 compares with previous years; and whether she she is taking to help increase the number of unannounced audits in future years.
The numbers of unannounced audits conducted are reported in the published Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) Annual Reports.YearNumber of unannounced audits202410202314202210 The Annual Report for 2024 can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/animals-in-science-regulation-unit-annual-report-2024ASRU has planned to increase the number of unannounced audits as part of its work to strength regulatory oversight. ASRU has also increased its number of inspectors, enabling a greater volume of risk-based audits across the system.Announced and unannounced audits play an important role in providing regulatory assurance. Audit numbers are only one indicator of the level of regulatory oversight; the quality, depth and scope of audits are central to assessing compliance effectively.
If she will amend the Protective Security for Mosques scheme to remove the requirement for a hate crime to have already been committed in order to qualify for protective security.
Mosques and associated Muslim community centres where regular worship takes place are eligible to apply for the Protective Security for Mosques scheme through the application form on gov.uk.Applicants are asked to provide a summary of any security concerns or hate crime experienced at their mosque or community centre, and the impact these have on the people who use it.Applicants are also asked to provide further details or evidence of any incidents of hate crime, where relevant. This will be considered as part of their application alongside other factors set out in the guidance.
With reference to her comments to the BBC on 11 August 2025, whether her Department presented information to the courts during legal proceedings relating to the proscription of Palestine Action on people who are objecting to that proscription because they don't know the full nature of the organisation as a result of court restrictions on reporting while serious prosecutions are under way; and if she will publish this information.
The material relied upon by the Court in its decision making is referenced throughout the judgment which is publicly available here: R (Ammori) v SSHD OPEN Judgment (final)The open material referred to during the proceedings can be requested from the court in accordance with the Civil Procedure Rules on Court documents see: PART 5 – COURT DOCUMENTS – Civil Procedure Rules – Justice UK. Any material submitted in closed proceedings is protected by the Justice and Security Act 2013 and will not be disclosed for reasons of national security. It would not be appropriate to comment further during ongoing legal proceedings.The Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation has access to secret and sensitive national security information in order to carry out his role. He routinely publishes his findings in reports that are available on his website: https://terrorismlegislationreviewer.independent.gov.uk/
Whether she will publish the material her Department disclosed to the courts and the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation on Palestine Action.
The material relied upon by the Court in its decision making is referenced throughout the judgment which is publicly available. R (Ammori) v SSHD OPEN Judgment (final)The open material referred to during the proceedings can be requested from the court in accordance with the Civil Rules on Court documents. PART 5 – COURT DOCUMENTS – Civil Procedure Rules – Justice UK. Any material submitted in closed proceedings is protected by the Justice and Security Act 2013 and will not be disclosed for reasons of national security.The Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation has access to secret and sensitive national security information in order to carry out his role. He routinely publishes his findings in reports that are available on his website: https://terrorismlegislationreviewer.independent.gov.uk/
Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of current charging thresholds for domestic abuse-related common assault offences on the ability of the police to bring timely charges.
We remain committed to supporting the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and police in exploring how expanding police-led charging decisions for specific domestic abuse cases can improve outcomes for domestic abuse victims and survivors.The Home Office has been working closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and the CPS to expand police charging authority to include certain domestic abuse (DA) flagged offences, aligning with the ambitions of the Government’s Manifesto Commitments.As set out in the recent Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, the Government will work with the CPS and police to strengthen access to justice for victims and survivors of domestic abuse. This includes reviewing the time limits for charging domestic abuse-related summary offences and considering whether greater flexibility could help reduce the number of timed-out cases.
Whether charging thresholds for domestic abuse-related common assault support early intervention in cases of repeat offending; and whether she plans to review the existing charging framework.
We remain committed to supporting the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and police in exploring how expanding police-led charging decisions for specific domestic abuse cases can improve outcomes for domestic abuse victims and survivors.The Home Office has been working closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and the CPS to expand police charging authority to include certain domestic abuse (DA) flagged offences, aligning with the ambitions of the Government’s Manifesto Commitments.As set out in the recent Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, the Government will work with the CPS and police to strengthen access to justice for victims and survivors of domestic abuse. This includes reviewing the time limits for charging domestic abuse-related summary offences and considering whether greater flexibility could help reduce the number of timed-out cases.