Written questions by McMurdock.

Was steps she is taking to reduce the number of people overstaying legitimately-granted visas.

All visa applications are assessed on their individual merits in accordance with Immigration Rules. Visa routes have different conditions, and these are published in route guidance on Gov.uk and stated on the visa or e-visa (digital status). The Home Office scrutinise applications linked to common abuse indicators using risk profiling. Upon the expiry of an individual’s permission to stay in the UK, if a valid application for further permission to stay is not made and the individual does not leave the country of their own volition, they become an overstayer and are liable to be removed from the UK. We have already begun delivering a major surge in immigration enforcement and returns activity to remove people with no right to be in the UK and ensure the rules are respected and enforced, with almost 19,000 returns recorded between 5 July 2024 and 31 January 2025.

What her policy is on the UN Global Compact for Migration.

The Global Compact for Migration, prepared under the auspices of the United Nations, aims to foster international cooperation on migration in a comprehensive way. The Global Compact reaffirms the sovereign right of States to determine their national migration policy and their prerogative to govern migration within their jurisdiction, in conformity with international law.An effective well-managed migration system is a fundamental part of the UK’s approach to ensuring the security and control of our borders and the UK remains committed to working with partners to address shared challenges.

What estimate she has made of the number of hotels required as temporary accommodation for asylum seekers in England on 31 December 2025.

This Government remains resolute in its commitment to reduce the costs of asylum accommodation, including ending the use of asylum hotels over time, through a number of actions including restarting the processing of asylum claims, establishing the new Border Security Command, and prioritising the acquisition of more sustainable dispersal accommodation.The Home Office keeps the asylum accommodation estate under constant review, but demand for asylum accommodation is volatile. This means the Home Office often has to work at pace to ensure compliance with its statutory duty to accommodate asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute.

What the average cost is of accommodating asylum seekers by Essex local authority.

This Government remains resolute in its commitment to reduce the costs of asylum accommodation, including ending the use of asylum hotels over time, through a number of actions including restarting the processing of asylum claims, establishing the new Border Security Command, and prioritising the acquisition of more sustainable dispersal accommodation.The Home Office keeps the asylum accommodation estate under constant review, but demand for asylum accommodation is volatile. This means the Home Office often has to work at pace to ensure compliance with its statutory duty to accommodate asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute.

How much funding local councils have spent on housing asylum seekers in (a) Essex and (b) South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency since 2022.

The requested data is not held centrally by the Home Office.

What services are available for asylum seekers on entry into the UK.

Guidance on the asylum support system is publicly available at:www.gov.uk/government/collections/asylum-support-asylum-instructions

If she will take steps to ensure fire and rescue services are adequately resourced to meet population growth in Essex.

The Home Office have no role in setting firefighter pay or allowances. This is set by the National Joint Council which is comprised of members from the Local Government Association and the Trade Union.On 3 February 2025, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) published the Final Local Government Finance Settlement 2025/26 which sets out grant allocations for all local authorities including fire and rescue. In addition, MHCLG published the referendum principles which confirms that fire and rescue authorities will be able to increase council tax by £5 without the need for a local referendum.The Home Office will continue to work closely with stakeholders across the sector to ensure fire and rescue services have the resources they need to protect communities.

If she will implement a South-East Allowance for fire and rescue services.

The Home Office have no role in setting firefighter pay or allowances. This is set by the National Joint Council which is comprised of members from the Local Government Association and the Trade Union.On 3 February 2025, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) published the Final Local Government Finance Settlement 2025/26 which sets out grant allocations for all local authorities including fire and rescue. In addition, MHCLG published the referendum principles which confirms that fire and rescue authorities will be able to increase council tax by £5 without the need for a local referendum.The Home Office will continue to work closely with stakeholders across the sector to ensure fire and rescue services have the resources they need to protect communities.

If she will ensure fire and rescue service personnel receive training on (a) electric vehicle fires and (b) lithium-ion battery incidents.

It is the responsibility of fire and rescue authorities to ensure that firefighters receive the appropriate equipment and training they need to safely respond to the wide range of incidents which they attend. We will continue to work closely with the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) to ensure fire and rescue services have the training, research and equipment they need to keep the public safe.Through our well-established national Fire Kills campaign, we are working to raise awareness on safe usage, storage and charging of e-bikes and e-scooters to support fire prevention in the home. We have developed educational resources, in partnership with the NFCC and local fire and rescue services, and published advice on the FireEngland.uk website.

What steps she is taking to support Essex County Fire and Rescue Service's capital investment in its (a) estate, (b) fleet and (c) equipment.

On 3 February 2025, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published the Final Local Government Finance Settlement 2025/26 which sets out grant allocations for all local authorities including fire and rescue.The Home Office will continue to work closely with stakeholders across the sector to ensure fire and rescue services have the resources they need to protect communities.

What steps she is taking to provide funding for infrastructure for fire and rescue services to help mitigate risks in relation to contaminants.

On 3 February 2025, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published the Final Local Government Finance Settlement 2025/26 which sets out grant allocations for all local authorities including fire and rescue.The Home Office will continue to work closely with stakeholders across the sector to ensure fire and rescue services have the resources they need to protect communities.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of (a) continuing existing government grants for the Essex County Fire and Rescue Service and (b) uplifting such grants by inflation.

On 3 February 2025, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published the Final Local Government Finance Settlement 2025/26 which sets out grant allocations for all local authorities including fire and rescue.The Home Office will continue to work closely with stakeholders across the sector to ensure fire and rescue services have the resources they need to protect communities.

What plans she has to reduce retail crime.

Shop theft soared to unacceptable levels under the previous government, with more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers. We will not stand for this. Everybody has a right to feel safe at their place of work.The Government is committed to tackling retail crime. We will end the effective immunity, introduced by the previous Government, granted to shop theft of goods of £200 and under. This will remove any perception that offenders will escape punishment.We will also introduce a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores.As set out in the Autumn budget 2024, we will provide over £7 million over the next three financial years to help support police in tackling retail crime.I am committed to chairing the newly established Retail Crime Forum to ensure we understand the needs of all retailers and to promote collaboration between the retail sector, security providers and law enforcement.

What plans she has to improve the safety of retail workers from (a) violence and (b) abuse.

Shop theft soared to unacceptable levels under the previous government, with more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers. We will not stand for this. Everybody has a right to feel safe at their place of work.The Government is committed to tackling retail crime. We will end the effective immunity, introduced by the previous Government, granted to shop theft of goods of £200 and under. This will remove any perception that offenders will escape punishment.We will also introduce a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores.As set out in the Autumn budget 2024, we will provide over £7 million over the next three financial years to help support police in tackling retail crime.I am committed to chairing the newly established Retail Crime Forum to ensure we understand the needs of all retailers and to promote collaboration between the retail sector, security providers and law enforcement.

What proportion of reported retail crime cases resulted in prosecution in each of the last three years.

The Home Office collects and publishes information on the number of shoplifting offences, and their investigative outcomes (including those resulting in charged/summons), on a quarterly basis. The latest information, to the year ending September 2024, were on published Thursday 30 January 2025 and can be accessed here:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tablesProsecutions are the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice. Statistics on prosecutions at court are published by the MoJ and can be accessed via their outcomes by offence data tool, available here:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-june-2024

What steps she is taking to support retailers to improve security measures in their stores to prevent crime.

Shop theft soared to unacceptable levels under the previous government, with more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers. We will not stand for this. Everybody has a right to feel safe at their place of work.The Government is committed to tackling retail crime. We will end the effective immunity, introduced by the previous Government, granted to shop theft of goods of £200 and under. This will remove any perception that offenders will escape punishment.We will also introduce a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores.As set out in the Autumn budget 2024, we will provide over £7 million over the next three financial years to help support police in tackling retail crime.I am committed to chairing the newly established Retail Crime Forum to ensure we understand the needs of all retailers and to promote collaboration between the retail sector, security providers and law enforcement.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of levels of (a) violence and (b) abuse faced by retail workers.

Shop theft soared to unacceptable levels under the previous government, with more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers. We will not stand for this. Everybody has a right to feel safe at their place of work.The Government is committed to tackling retail crime. We will end the effective immunity, introduced by the previous Government, granted to shop theft of goods of £200 and under. This will remove any perception that offenders will escape punishment.We will also introduce a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores.As set out in the Autumn budget 2024, we will provide over £7 million over the next three financial years to help support police in tackling retail crime.I am committed to chairing the newly established Retail Crime Forum to ensure we understand the needs of all retailers and to promote collaboration between the retail sector, security providers and law enforcement.

What plans she has to help reduce financial loss to retailers caused by customer theft.

Shop theft soared to unacceptable levels under the previous government, with more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers. We will not stand for this. Everybody has a right to feel safe at their place of work.The Government is committed to tackling retail crime. We will end the effective immunity, introduced by the previous Government, granted to shop theft of goods of £200 and under. This will remove any perception that offenders will escape punishment.We will also introduce a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores.As set out in the Autumn budget 2024, we will provide over £7 million over the next three financial years to help support police in tackling retail crime.I am committed to chairing the newly established Retail Crime Forum to ensure we understand the needs of all retailers and to promote collaboration between the retail sector, security providers and law enforcement.

If she will list the number of people on the terrorist watch list by (a) nationality, (b) sex, (c) religion and (d) immigration status.

It is longstanding policy not to discuss either the specific information held on any security-related watchlist, the source of the information or how it is used.To do so would be counterproductive and harmful to the national security of the UK.

How many and what proportion of people on the terrorist watch list are dual nationals.

It is longstanding policy not to discuss either the specific information held on any security-related watchlist, the source of the information or how it is used.To do so would be counterproductive and harmful to the national security of the UK.