Written questions by McMurdock.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure police officers have training specifically on (a) tackling fraud and (b) fraud prevention.

This Government is committed to working with law enforcement, civil society and industry to better protect the public and businesses from this appalling crime.Frauds with a total financial loss of £2.4 billion were reported to Action Fraud between November 2023 and November 2024. NFIB Dashboard (Public) (arcgis.com) This is likely to underestimate the full impact of fraud to the economy as fraud is underreported.According to the Action Fraud Dashboard as of the 20th of December 2024, in its reporting period of 13-months, 64% of reported fraud was cyber enabled. This means that in the last 13-months, roughly 223,000 reported frauds were cyber-enabled. The Action Fraud dashboard only provides data for the last 13-months therefore does not cover the whole of the 23/24 period. NFIB Dashboard (Public)Victims of fraud can suffer both serious financial and emotional harm. The Code of Practice for Victims sets out the services and a minimum standard of services that must be provided to victims of crime by organisations in England and Wales.In addition to support offered by investigating offers, the Home Office has supported the rollout of the National Economic Crime Victim Care Unit (NECVCU). This is a focused and targeted service providing victims of fraud and cyber crime, with not only a consistent and high-quality response, but also a national standard of care and support. The aim of NECVCU is for victims to feel safe and more confident following contact, whilst assisting them to cope and recover from the crime and significantly reduce the likelihood of repeat victimisation. Since its inception in 2018, NECVCU has supported 440,994 victims of fraud. Since January 2021, NECVCU has also helped victims recover £3,685,201.The Home Office has provided funding to City of London Police to create a coordinated police Fraud Protect Network. The network is made up of local, regional and national law enforcement officers and is designed to reduce the threat of fraud and revictimisation by providing consistent protect messaging and safeguarding advice to the public.Authorised Push Payment scams came into force in October, ensuring more victims get their money back. Reimbursement was already in place for victims of unauthorised fraud.In addition, the Proceeds of Crime Act (‘POCA’) allows the recovery of the proceeds of crime from criminals and returns the funds to victims, or back into law enforcement and prosecution agencies. Seized assets can be returned to victims at sentencing through a ‘compensation order’ that compensates loss or damage caused by the convicted person, including for fraud offences. Victims can also apply for any criminal funds that have been seized by law enforcement to be returned to them where they are the original owner.The Home Office also continues to engage with banks, trade organisations and third sector organisations to ensure proper advice and support for victims of fraud. Our “Stop! Think Fraud” campaign helps people spot and avoid fraud, and provides fraud prevention and recovery advice. Stop! Think Fraud - How to stay safe from scamsThe Home Office and College of Policing are reviewing the fundamental training offered to police officers with regards to tackling fraud, including digital skills, to identify opportunities for improvement. The Home Office is also working across law enforcement and the public sector to develop and deliver a “Workforce Strategy” for Economic Crime. This will address recruitment and retention challenges for Economic Crime, including fraud. This will also consider opportunities to exchange people and counter-fraud skills across the public and private sectors.Sentencing guidelines are developed by the Sentencing Council for England and Wales. The Council is independent of Parliament and Government. As an independent body, the Council decides on its own priorities and work plan for producing and reviewing guidelines. The Lord Chancellor or the Court of Appeal can ask the Council to consider reviewing or producing guidelines in a particular area, but the Council is not required to agree to any such requests.The Sentencing Guidelines for Fraud Offences were published in 2014. The Council monitors and evaluates all definitive guidelines, as per its statutory duty to do so.

What assessment she has made of the impact of fraud on the economy.

This Government is committed to working with law enforcement, civil society and industry to better protect the public and businesses from this appalling crime.Frauds with a total financial loss of £2.4 billion were reported to Action Fraud between November 2023 and November 2024. NFIB Dashboard (Public) (arcgis.com) This is likely to underestimate the full impact of fraud to the economy as fraud is underreported.According to the Action Fraud Dashboard as of the 20th of December 2024, in its reporting period of 13-months, 64% of reported fraud was cyber enabled. This means that in the last 13-months, roughly 223,000 reported frauds were cyber-enabled. The Action Fraud dashboard only provides data for the last 13-months therefore does not cover the whole of the 23/24 period. NFIB Dashboard (Public)Victims of fraud can suffer both serious financial and emotional harm. The Code of Practice for Victims sets out the services and a minimum standard of services that must be provided to victims of crime by organisations in England and Wales.In addition to support offered by investigating offers, the Home Office has supported the rollout of the National Economic Crime Victim Care Unit (NECVCU). This is a focused and targeted service providing victims of fraud and cyber crime, with not only a consistent and high-quality response, but also a national standard of care and support. The aim of NECVCU is for victims to feel safe and more confident following contact, whilst assisting them to cope and recover from the crime and significantly reduce the likelihood of repeat victimisation. Since its inception in 2018, NECVCU has supported 440,994 victims of fraud. Since January 2021, NECVCU has also helped victims recover £3,685,201.The Home Office has provided funding to City of London Police to create a coordinated police Fraud Protect Network. The network is made up of local, regional and national law enforcement officers and is designed to reduce the threat of fraud and revictimisation by providing consistent protect messaging and safeguarding advice to the public.Authorised Push Payment scams came into force in October, ensuring more victims get their money back. Reimbursement was already in place for victims of unauthorised fraud.In addition, the Proceeds of Crime Act (‘POCA’) allows the recovery of the proceeds of crime from criminals and returns the funds to victims, or back into law enforcement and prosecution agencies. Seized assets can be returned to victims at sentencing through a ‘compensation order’ that compensates loss or damage caused by the convicted person, including for fraud offences. Victims can also apply for any criminal funds that have been seized by law enforcement to be returned to them where they are the original owner.The Home Office also continues to engage with banks, trade organisations and third sector organisations to ensure proper advice and support for victims of fraud. Our “Stop! Think Fraud” campaign helps people spot and avoid fraud, and provides fraud prevention and recovery advice. Stop! Think Fraud - How to stay safe from scamsThe Home Office and College of Policing are reviewing the fundamental training offered to police officers with regards to tackling fraud, including digital skills, to identify opportunities for improvement. The Home Office is also working across law enforcement and the public sector to develop and deliver a “Workforce Strategy” for Economic Crime. This will address recruitment and retention challenges for Economic Crime, including fraud. This will also consider opportunities to exchange people and counter-fraud skills across the public and private sectors.Sentencing guidelines are developed by the Sentencing Council for England and Wales. The Council is independent of Parliament and Government. As an independent body, the Council decides on its own priorities and work plan for producing and reviewing guidelines. The Lord Chancellor or the Court of Appeal can ask the Council to consider reviewing or producing guidelines in a particular area, but the Council is not required to agree to any such requests.The Sentencing Guidelines for Fraud Offences were published in 2014. The Council monitors and evaluates all definitive guidelines, as per its statutory duty to do so.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of a South East allowance for firefighters to support retention in (a) Essex and (b) other areas.

The Government has no role in either setting or agreeing firefighter pay or allowances.The final Local Government Finance Settlement 2024/25 has determined that overall fire and rescue authorities will receive around £2.87 billion this year to continue protecting our communities at the highest standard. Standalone Fire and Rescue Authorities will see an increase in core spending power of £95.4 million in 2024/25. This is an increase of 5.6 per cent in cash terms compared to 2023/24. Essex Fire and Rescue Authority will have core spending power of £92.1 million in 2024/25. This is an increase of 5.7 per cent in cash terms compared to 2023/24. Funding allocations for 2025/26 will be set out at the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement in December 2024.

If her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of removing the Police Uplift Programme ringfence clawback arrangement to prevent reduction of officer numbers in police forces (a) in Essex and (b) nationally.

The 2025-26 provisional police funding settlement provides funding of up to £19.5 billion for the policing system in England and Wales. This is an overall increase of up to £1 billion when compared to the 2024-25 settlement, and equates to a 5.5% cash increase, and 3% real terms increase in funding.Essex Police will receive up to £431.1 million in 2025-26, an increase of up to £24.9 million when compared to 2024-25.Additional funding for police forces, including funding for pay awards, should be considered in totality – including both government grants and precept.This Government is committed to maintaining officer numbers. The Police Officer Maintenance grant provides funding to forces that successfully maintain officer headcounts as set out in the Police Funding Settlement. Forces are ineligible to receive funding if they fail to achieve these targets.Based on the last published Police Workforce Statistics total officer numbers across England and Wales, and in Essex police, met officer maintenance requirements.

Whether her Department is taking steps to address funding shortfalls faced by Essex County Fire and Rescue Service in the context of the redistribution of the (a) Funding Guarantee Scheme and (b) Services Grant.

Funding allocations for 2025/26 will be set out at the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement in December 2024. The Government has guaranteed that no local authority will see a reduction in their Core Spending Power in 2025-26 after taking account of any increase in council tax levels by applying a funding floor. This will provide the protections required for authorities to sustain their services between years, whilst recognising that we must begin the process of redirecting as much funding as possible towards the services and places that need it most.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of funding to mitigate the impact of unfunded pay increments for officers hired under the Police Uplift Programme in Essex.

The 2025-26 provisional police funding settlement provides funding of up to £19.5 billion for the policing system in England and Wales. This is an overall increase of up to £1 billion when compared to the 2024-25 settlement, and equates to a 5.5% cash increase, and 3% real terms increase in funding.Essex Police will receive up to £431.1 million in 2025-26, an increase of up to £24.9 million when compared to 2024-25.Additional funding for police forces, including funding for pay awards, should be considered in totality – including both government grants and precept.This Government is committed to maintaining officer numbers. The Police Officer Maintenance grant provides funding to forces that successfully maintain officer headcounts as set out in the Police Funding Settlement. Forces are ineligible to receive funding if they fail to achieve these targets.Based on the last published Police Workforce Statistics total officer numbers across England and Wales, and in Essex police, met officer maintenance requirements.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the proposed 2025/26 funding settlement for Essex Police in the context of (a) the full-year cost of the 2023/24 pay award and (b) pay increments associated with the Police Uplift Programme.

The 2025-26 provisional police funding settlement provides funding of up to £19.5 billion for the policing system in England and Wales. This is an overall increase of up to £1 billion when compared to the 2024-25 settlement, and equates to a 5.5% cash increase, and 3% real terms increase in funding.Essex Police will receive up to £431.1 million in 2025-26, an increase of up to £24.9 million when compared to 2024-25.Additional funding for police forces, including funding for pay awards, should be considered in totality – including both government grants and precept.This Government is committed to maintaining officer numbers. The Police Officer Maintenance grant provides funding to forces that successfully maintain officer headcounts as set out in the Police Funding Settlement. Forces are ineligible to receive funding if they fail to achieve these targets.Based on the last published Police Workforce Statistics total officer numbers across England and Wales, and in Essex police, met officer maintenance requirements.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of granting Police, Fire, and Crime Commissioners the authority to independently determine the level of council tax precept increases for police and fire services in their areas.

The Government is committed to keeping taxes on working people as low as possible.Following consultation on the provisional local government settlement the final set of referendum principles will be put before the House of Commons for approval in the New Year.It is for Police and Fire Authorities to decide at what level they set their council tax.

What assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of its policies on tackling modern slavery.

The UK Government is committed to tackling all forms of modern slavery, holding perpetrators to account, and ensuring that victims are supported to recover and rebuild their lives.Long-term reform will focus on driving up prosecutions and convictions and ensuring tailored and holistic support is available for victims.The Government is taking a range of measures to tackle modern slavery and support victims including, but not limited to:· In England and Wales, the Government provides victims in the National Referral Mechanism with significant support through the Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract (MSVCC). The Care Quality Commission provides an independent inspection regime to ensure that MSVCC support services are delivered to an appropriate standard.· In Spring 2025 the Government intends to launch an exercise to procure the next victim support contract called the Support for Victims of Modern Slavery service. The Service will deliver a needs-based model that introduces key improvements to support provision directly as a result of survivor and wider stakeholder engagement.· In addition to the statutory support local authorities provide for children who are potential child victims of modern slavery, the Government has rolled out the Independent Child Trafficking Guardian (ICTG) service to two thirds of local authorities in England and Wales. An ICTG's role is to provide an additional source of advice and support for potential child victims of modern slavery (regardless of nationality or immigration status). Since the ICTG service was first piloted in 2017, multiple evaluations have taken place. These evaluations and recommendations have been used to assess the service and to inform its future direction. The latest evaluation was published in May 2024 and can be accessed here: Independent Child Trafficking Guardian (ICTG) MSA evaluation - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)[NC1]With regards to our engagement with law enforcement and supply chains:· The Government is determined to increase the prosecution of modern slavery offenders. The Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls met with criminal justice system partners during Anti-Slavery Week to discuss the barriers that prevent prosecutions. The Government is committed to continue working with them to address those barriers and understand what more can be done to support investigations and increase prosecutions.· The Home Office has provided over £19m of dedicated funding, including £1.26m in 2024/25, to the Modern Slavery and Organised Immigration Crime Unit since 2016, to help to improve the police's ability to identify victims and to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators. The unit has developed bespoke capabilities, including producing tailored training and guidance that is accessible to all police officers.· The Government is in the process of establishing the Fair Work Agency, which will act as the principal body responsible for ensuring compliance with labour rights and standards across all sectors.· The Home Office is also working with a wide group of stakeholders to update the Transparency in Supply Chains statutory guidance. This will further support businesses to produce high quality statements, which are underpinned by effective measures to prevent and effectively respond to instances of modern slavery in supply chains.Internationally, we remain committed to working with partners to jointly tackle modern slavery as a global issue. The UK has close relationships with the Albanian, Vietnamese, and Romanian Governments to address shared priorities on modern slavery. Partnerships with these countries cover initiatives to prevent modern slavery, improve law enforcement cooperation, and support effective reintegration of victims.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the support services available to victims of modern slavery; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure these services are (a) accessible and (b) fit for purpose.

The UK Government is committed to tackling all forms of modern slavery, holding perpetrators to account, and ensuring that victims are supported to recover and rebuild their lives.Long-term reform will focus on driving up prosecutions and convictions and ensuring tailored and holistic support is available for victims.The Government is taking a range of measures to tackle modern slavery and support victims including, but not limited to:· In England and Wales, the Government provides victims in the National Referral Mechanism with significant support through the Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract (MSVCC). The Care Quality Commission provides an independent inspection regime to ensure that MSVCC support services are delivered to an appropriate standard.· In Spring 2025 the Government intends to launch an exercise to procure the next victim support contract called the Support for Victims of Modern Slavery service. The Service will deliver a needs-based model that introduces key improvements to support provision directly as a result of survivor and wider stakeholder engagement.· In addition to the statutory support local authorities provide for children who are potential child victims of modern slavery, the Government has rolled out the Independent Child Trafficking Guardian (ICTG) service to two thirds of local authorities in England and Wales. An ICTG's role is to provide an additional source of advice and support for potential child victims of modern slavery (regardless of nationality or immigration status). Since the ICTG service was first piloted in 2017, multiple evaluations have taken place. These evaluations and recommendations have been used to assess the service and to inform its future direction. The latest evaluation was published in May 2024 and can be accessed here: Independent Child Trafficking Guardian (ICTG) MSA evaluation - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)[NC1]With regards to our engagement with law enforcement and supply chains:· The Government is determined to increase the prosecution of modern slavery offenders. The Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls met with criminal justice system partners during Anti-Slavery Week to discuss the barriers that prevent prosecutions. The Government is committed to continue working with them to address those barriers and understand what more can be done to support investigations and increase prosecutions.· The Home Office has provided over £19m of dedicated funding, including £1.26m in 2024/25, to the Modern Slavery and Organised Immigration Crime Unit since 2016, to help to improve the police's ability to identify victims and to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators. The unit has developed bespoke capabilities, including producing tailored training and guidance that is accessible to all police officers.· The Government is in the process of establishing the Fair Work Agency, which will act as the principal body responsible for ensuring compliance with labour rights and standards across all sectors.· The Home Office is also working with a wide group of stakeholders to update the Transparency in Supply Chains statutory guidance. This will further support businesses to produce high quality statements, which are underpinned by effective measures to prevent and effectively respond to instances of modern slavery in supply chains.Internationally, we remain committed to working with partners to jointly tackle modern slavery as a global issue. The UK has close relationships with the Albanian, Vietnamese, and Romanian Governments to address shared priorities on modern slavery. Partnerships with these countries cover initiatives to prevent modern slavery, improve law enforcement cooperation, and support effective reintegration of victims.

What steps her Department is taking to stop modern slavery practices within supply chains (a) domestically and (b) internationally.

The UK Government is committed to tackling all forms of modern slavery, holding perpetrators to account, and ensuring that victims are supported to recover and rebuild their lives.Long-term reform will focus on driving up prosecutions and convictions and ensuring tailored and holistic support is available for victims.The Government is taking a range of measures to tackle modern slavery and support victims including, but not limited to:· In England and Wales, the Government provides victims in the National Referral Mechanism with significant support through the Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract (MSVCC). The Care Quality Commission provides an independent inspection regime to ensure that MSVCC support services are delivered to an appropriate standard.· In Spring 2025 the Government intends to launch an exercise to procure the next victim support contract called the Support for Victims of Modern Slavery service. The Service will deliver a needs-based model that introduces key improvements to support provision directly as a result of survivor and wider stakeholder engagement.· In addition to the statutory support local authorities provide for children who are potential child victims of modern slavery, the Government has rolled out the Independent Child Trafficking Guardian (ICTG) service to two thirds of local authorities in England and Wales. An ICTG's role is to provide an additional source of advice and support for potential child victims of modern slavery (regardless of nationality or immigration status). Since the ICTG service was first piloted in 2017, multiple evaluations have taken place. These evaluations and recommendations have been used to assess the service and to inform its future direction. The latest evaluation was published in May 2024 and can be accessed here: Independent Child Trafficking Guardian (ICTG) MSA evaluation - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)[NC1]With regards to our engagement with law enforcement and supply chains:· The Government is determined to increase the prosecution of modern slavery offenders. The Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls met with criminal justice system partners during Anti-Slavery Week to discuss the barriers that prevent prosecutions. The Government is committed to continue working with them to address those barriers and understand what more can be done to support investigations and increase prosecutions.· The Home Office has provided over £19m of dedicated funding, including £1.26m in 2024/25, to the Modern Slavery and Organised Immigration Crime Unit since 2016, to help to improve the police's ability to identify victims and to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators. The unit has developed bespoke capabilities, including producing tailored training and guidance that is accessible to all police officers.· The Government is in the process of establishing the Fair Work Agency, which will act as the principal body responsible for ensuring compliance with labour rights and standards across all sectors.· The Home Office is also working with a wide group of stakeholders to update the Transparency in Supply Chains statutory guidance. This will further support businesses to produce high quality statements, which are underpinned by effective measures to prevent and effectively respond to instances of modern slavery in supply chains.Internationally, we remain committed to working with partners to jointly tackle modern slavery as a global issue. The UK has close relationships with the Albanian, Vietnamese, and Romanian Governments to address shared priorities on modern slavery. Partnerships with these countries cover initiatives to prevent modern slavery, improve law enforcement cooperation, and support effective reintegration of victims.

What discussions she has had with her international counterparts on tackling (a) human trafficking and (b) modern slavery across borders.

The UK Government is committed to tackling all forms of modern slavery, holding perpetrators to account, and ensuring that victims are supported to recover and rebuild their lives.Long-term reform will focus on driving up prosecutions and convictions and ensuring tailored and holistic support is available for victims.The Government is taking a range of measures to tackle modern slavery and support victims including, but not limited to:· In England and Wales, the Government provides victims in the National Referral Mechanism with significant support through the Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract (MSVCC). The Care Quality Commission provides an independent inspection regime to ensure that MSVCC support services are delivered to an appropriate standard.· In Spring 2025 the Government intends to launch an exercise to procure the next victim support contract called the Support for Victims of Modern Slavery service. The Service will deliver a needs-based model that introduces key improvements to support provision directly as a result of survivor and wider stakeholder engagement.· In addition to the statutory support local authorities provide for children who are potential child victims of modern slavery, the Government has rolled out the Independent Child Trafficking Guardian (ICTG) service to two thirds of local authorities in England and Wales. An ICTG's role is to provide an additional source of advice and support for potential child victims of modern slavery (regardless of nationality or immigration status). Since the ICTG service was first piloted in 2017, multiple evaluations have taken place. These evaluations and recommendations have been used to assess the service and to inform its future direction. The latest evaluation was published in May 2024 and can be accessed here: Independent Child Trafficking Guardian (ICTG) MSA evaluation - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)[NC1]With regards to our engagement with law enforcement and supply chains:· The Government is determined to increase the prosecution of modern slavery offenders. The Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls met with criminal justice system partners during Anti-Slavery Week to discuss the barriers that prevent prosecutions. The Government is committed to continue working with them to address those barriers and understand what more can be done to support investigations and increase prosecutions.· The Home Office has provided over £19m of dedicated funding, including £1.26m in 2024/25, to the Modern Slavery and Organised Immigration Crime Unit since 2016, to help to improve the police's ability to identify victims and to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators. The unit has developed bespoke capabilities, including producing tailored training and guidance that is accessible to all police officers.· The Government is in the process of establishing the Fair Work Agency, which will act as the principal body responsible for ensuring compliance with labour rights and standards across all sectors.· The Home Office is also working with a wide group of stakeholders to update the Transparency in Supply Chains statutory guidance. This will further support businesses to produce high quality statements, which are underpinned by effective measures to prevent and effectively respond to instances of modern slavery in supply chains.Internationally, we remain committed to working with partners to jointly tackle modern slavery as a global issue. The UK has close relationships with the Albanian, Vietnamese, and Romanian Governments to address shared priorities on modern slavery. Partnerships with these countries cover initiatives to prevent modern slavery, improve law enforcement cooperation, and support effective reintegration of victims.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure law enforcement agencies are equipped with the necessary (a) training and (b) resources to (i) identify and (ii) tackle modern slavery cases effectively.

The UK Government is committed to tackling all forms of modern slavery, holding perpetrators to account, and ensuring that victims are supported to recover and rebuild their lives.Long-term reform will focus on driving up prosecutions and convictions and ensuring tailored and holistic support is available for victims.The Government is taking a range of measures to tackle modern slavery and support victims including, but not limited to:· In England and Wales, the Government provides victims in the National Referral Mechanism with significant support through the Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract (MSVCC). The Care Quality Commission provides an independent inspection regime to ensure that MSVCC support services are delivered to an appropriate standard.· In Spring 2025 the Government intends to launch an exercise to procure the next victim support contract called the Support for Victims of Modern Slavery service. The Service will deliver a needs-based model that introduces key improvements to support provision directly as a result of survivor and wider stakeholder engagement.· In addition to the statutory support local authorities provide for children who are potential child victims of modern slavery, the Government has rolled out the Independent Child Trafficking Guardian (ICTG) service to two thirds of local authorities in England and Wales. An ICTG's role is to provide an additional source of advice and support for potential child victims of modern slavery (regardless of nationality or immigration status). Since the ICTG service was first piloted in 2017, multiple evaluations have taken place. These evaluations and recommendations have been used to assess the service and to inform its future direction. The latest evaluation was published in May 2024 and can be accessed here: Independent Child Trafficking Guardian (ICTG) MSA evaluation - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)[NC1]With regards to our engagement with law enforcement and supply chains:· The Government is determined to increase the prosecution of modern slavery offenders. The Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls met with criminal justice system partners during Anti-Slavery Week to discuss the barriers that prevent prosecutions. The Government is committed to continue working with them to address those barriers and understand what more can be done to support investigations and increase prosecutions.· The Home Office has provided over £19m of dedicated funding, including £1.26m in 2024/25, to the Modern Slavery and Organised Immigration Crime Unit since 2016, to help to improve the police's ability to identify victims and to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators. The unit has developed bespoke capabilities, including producing tailored training and guidance that is accessible to all police officers.· The Government is in the process of establishing the Fair Work Agency, which will act as the principal body responsible for ensuring compliance with labour rights and standards across all sectors.· The Home Office is also working with a wide group of stakeholders to update the Transparency in Supply Chains statutory guidance. This will further support businesses to produce high quality statements, which are underpinned by effective measures to prevent and effectively respond to instances of modern slavery in supply chains.Internationally, we remain committed to working with partners to jointly tackle modern slavery as a global issue. The UK has close relationships with the Albanian, Vietnamese, and Romanian Governments to address shared priorities on modern slavery. Partnerships with these countries cover initiatives to prevent modern slavery, improve law enforcement cooperation, and support effective reintegration of victims.

What steps her Department is taking to support local authorities that are facing challenges in managing people who have entered the UK illegally.

The Home Office has a statutory obligation to provide destitute asylum seekers with accommodation and subsistence support whilst their application for asylum is being considered. The Home Office is committed to working collaboratively with local authorities to effectively manage the impacts of accommodation sites and has developed asylum accommodation plans which consider a range of factors when allocating accommodation, including the pressure on local services. The Home Office also provides financial assistance to Local Authorities through various grants to support the accommodation and dispersal of supported asylum seekers as well as providing a range of immigration status checking services to help them understand and manage individual circumstances.

With reference to His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services entitled PEEL 2021/22 – An inspection of Essex Police, published on 14 October 2022, what steps her Department plans to take to help improve Essex constabulary's response time to calls from the public.

It is the responsibility of His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) to assess the operational performance of forces in England and Wales. We work closely with the Inspectorate to monitor individual forces’ performance.Roger Hirst, as the directly elected Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC) for Essex, is responsible for holding the Chief Constable to account for the performance of Essex Police.To drive up performance and standards across forces, ensuring communities can have confidence in their local police force, the Home Secretary announced on 19 November that she intends to create a new Performance Unit in the Home Office. This will harness national data to monitor performance and direct improvements, building on the existing work of the College of Policing, HMICFRS, National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) and PCCs.

With reference to His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services entitled PEEL 2021/22 – An inspection of Essex Police, published on 14 October 2022, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the performance of Essex Police.

It is the responsibility of His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) to assess the operational performance of forces in England and Wales. We work closely with the Inspectorate to monitor individual forces’ performance.Roger Hirst, as the directly elected Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC) for Essex, is responsible for holding the Chief Constable to account for the performance of Essex Police.To drive up performance and standards across forces, ensuring communities can have confidence in their local police force, the Home Secretary announced on 19 November that she intends to create a new Performance Unit in the Home Office. This will harness national data to monitor performance and direct improvements, building on the existing work of the College of Policing, HMICFRS, National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) and PCCs.

How much was spent by police forces in Essex on celebrating Pride Month in June 2024.

The Home Office does not hold information relating to how much money was spent by police forces on pride month for 2024.

If she will make an estimate of the numbers of delivery drivers working illegally in the UK.

The Home Office is not able to make an estimate of the number of delivery drivers working illegally in the UK due to the difficulty in estimating the exact size of the irregular population. No government has produced any official estimates since 2005. As described in joint work between the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the Home Office, the definition and coverage of the irregular population is complex.

What steps her Department is taking to stop illegal delivery drivers working for food delivery companies.

The Home Office is determined to clamp down on illegal working, including in the gig economy. It is already a criminal offence to work illegally in the UK, and a person’s permission to stay can also be cancelled. The Home Office and the Department for Business and Trade continue to work closely with the main food delivery platforms to ensure they understand their responsibilities in using riders who have the right to work in the UK. Deliveroo, Uber Eats, and Just Eat have already introduced – or have confirmed they will soon introduce – right to work checks on registered substitutes to prevent illegal drivers working for their companies.

What discussions her Department has had with major food delivery companies on steps to tackle the employment of illegal workers.

The Home Office is determined to clamp down on illegal working, including in the gig economy. It is already a criminal offence to work illegally in the UK, and a person’s permission to stay can also be cancelled. The Home Office and the Department for Business and Trade continue to work closely with the main food delivery platforms to ensure they understand their responsibilities in using riders who have the right to work in the UK. Deliveroo, Uber Eats, and Just Eat have already introduced – or have confirmed they will soon introduce – right to work checks on registered substitutes to prevent illegal drivers working for their companies.