Written questions by McMurdock.

What steps her Department is taking to tackle cash-for-crash moped scams.

Cash-for-crash scams impact consumers by increasing the price of insurance premiums and putting innocent lives at risk.The government is committed to tackling this threat and has worked in collaboration with the UK insurance sector to publish an insurance fraud charter. This is a voluntary agreement which aims to raise the visibility of insurance fraud, improve victim support and better detect and prevent scams, such as crash-for cash.Actions within the charter include:Working with the National Crime Agency’s National Assessment Centre to carry out a review into the role of professional enablers in the insurance.Identify policies being exploited by ‘illegal insurance intermediaries’.Strengthen data security measures to stop insurance fraudsters using customer details to target people.Review the tactics and websites being used by fraudsters to promote bogus insurance offers.

Whether she has had recent discussions with her French counterpart on preventing small boats from crossing the Channel by intercepting them mid-journey.

The Home Secretary is in regular contact with her new French counterpart, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, to discuss ongoing cooperation to stop small boat crossings. They met for the first time on 3rd October at the G7 in Italy.

How much her Department spent on refugee integration loans in each year since 2010.

Refugee Integration Loans were introduced in 2007 following a public consultation and have operated over the last seventeen years to support integration of genuine refugees, including into work.Details are available at Refugee integration loan: Overview - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

How many and what proportion of irregular migrants were (a) in Essex and (b) housed in hotels in Essex in the last 12 months; and how many of those have been removed since October 2023.

Data on asylum applications, the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation, including hotels, and returns is published at: Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab)

What steps she is taking to reduce shoplifting in Essex.

Shop theft rose to record levels under the previous government , with shopworkers facing unacceptable violence and abuse in the process. We will not stand for this. Everybody has a right to feel safe on the job.This Government will end the effective impunity, introduced by the previous Government, granted to shop theft of goods under £200 and we will also introduce a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores.

How many and what proportion of foreign national offenders have successfully appealed a deportation order under Article (a) 3, (b) 6 and (c) 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, in each year since 2014.

The Home Office publishes data on returns of foreign national offenders (FNOs) in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly release’. Data on total returns of FNOs by nationality can be found in table Ret_D03 of the ‘returns detailed datasets’, with the latest data going up to the end of June 2024. Figures on FNO returns are not broken down by return type, and include enforced returns, voluntary returns and a small number of FNOs refused entry at port and subsequently returned.Deportations are a specific subset of total FNO returns which are enforced either following a criminal conviction or when it is judged that a person’s removal from the UK is conducive to the public good. The deportation order prohibits the person returning to the UK until such time as it may be revoked.The Home Office does not regularly publish information about FNO appeals. However, in February 2022 an ad-hoc transparency piece on FNO lodged and allowed appeals, covering the period 2008 to 2021, was released. This provides numbers of FNO appeals lodged, and the numbers of those which are subsequently allowed, and of those how many were allowed on human rights grounds only, broken down by financial year of the appeal lodged date.Data on the number of individuals arriving in the UK by small boat broken down by sex is published in table Irr_D01 of the ‘Irregular migration detailed datasets’. This release covers the period 2018 to June 2024.

What the cost to the public purse has been of housing asylum seekers who have arrived on small boats in (a) hotels and (b) other locations since January 2020.

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.Data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation is published by the Government in table ASY D_11 here: Asylum and resettlement datasets - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).Data on asylum support costs under the previous government are available in the Home Office Annual Report.

Whether she has had recent discussions with her French counterpart on the potential merits of preventing small boats from crossing the Channel by intercepting them mid-journey.

The Home Secretary is in regular contact with her new French counterpart, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, to discuss ongoing cooperation to stop small boat crossings. They met for the first time on 3rd October at the G7 in Italy.

What proportion of the Overseas Development Assistance budget was spent on accommodating asylum seekers in the UK in the most recent year for which figures are available.

I refer the Hon Gentleman to the FCDO’s publication of final UK Overseas Development Assistance for 2023, published in September 2024, and available at the following link:Statistics on International Development: final UK ODA spend 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

How many and what proportion of attempted deportations of foreign national offenders by her Department have been successfully challenged on Article 8 ECHR grounds in each of the last ten years.

The Home Office publishes data on returns of foreign national offenders (FNOs) in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly release’. Data on total returns of FNOs by nationality can be found in table Ret_D03 of the ‘returns detailed datasets’, with the latest data going up to the end of June 2024. Figures on FNO returns are not broken down by return type, and include enforced returns, voluntary returns and a small number of FNOs refused entry at port and subsequently returned.Deportations are a specific subset of total FNO returns which are enforced either following a criminal conviction or when it is judged that a person’s removal from the UK is conducive to the public good. The deportation order prohibits the person returning to the UK until such time as it may be revoked.The Home Office does not regularly publish information about FNO appeals. However, in February 2022 an ad-hoc transparency piece on FNO lodged and allowed appeals, covering the period 2008 to 2021, was released. This provides numbers of FNO appeals lodged, and the numbers of those which are subsequently allowed, and of those how many were allowed on human rights grounds only, broken down by financial year of the appeal lodged date.Data on the number of individuals arriving in the UK by small boat broken down by sex is published in table Irr_D01 of the ‘Irregular migration detailed datasets’. This release covers the period 2018 to June 2024.

If she will take steps to ensure that student visas are not used solely to gain residence in the UK.

To obtain permission on the Student route prospective Students must demonstrate that they have a sufficient level of English, funds to maintain themselves, relevant qualifications, a genuine intention to study and be sponsored by a licensed college or university.The Student route is a temporary immigration route and does not lead to settlement in the UK. There are no plans to change this. However, students may apply to extend their leave on other routes to remain in the UK provided they meet the requirements.We continuously review and strengthen visa and compliance requirements on our study routes to ensure they best serve the UK and reflect the public’s priorities.

What steps she is taking to help prevent the provision of large dinghies to people smuggling gangs.

We are taking a whole-of-system approach to disrupt and dismantle the people smugglers’ business model. This includes working with international partners upstream to intercept material used by these criminal gangs, including dinghies and engines.On Monday 4th November, the Prime Minister set out his plans to INTERPOL for people-smuggling to be viewed as a global security threat and announced an additional £75 million to boost UK border security, bringing the investment in the Border Security Command over the next two years to £150 million. This will provide additional specialist investigators, intelligence officers, and state of the art surveillance equipment to ensure those behind this criminal activity are brought to justice.

How many foreign national offenders of which nationality were deported in each of the last five years.

The Home Office publishes data on returns of foreign national offenders (FNOs) in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly release’. Data on total returns of FNOs by nationality can be found in table Ret_D03 of the ‘returns detailed datasets’, with the latest data going up to the end of June 2024. Figures on FNO returns are not broken down by return type, and include enforced returns, voluntary returns and a small number of FNOs refused entry at port and subsequently returned.Deportations are a specific subset of total FNO returns which are enforced either following a criminal conviction or when it is judged that a person’s removal from the UK is conducive to the public good. The deportation order prohibits the person returning to the UK until such time as it may be revoked.The Home Office does not regularly publish information about FNO appeals. However, in February 2022 an ad-hoc transparency piece on FNO lodged and allowed appeals, covering the period 2008 to 2021, was released. This provides numbers of FNO appeals lodged, and the numbers of those which are subsequently allowed, and of those how many were allowed on human rights grounds only, broken down by financial year of the appeal lodged date.Data on the number of individuals arriving in the UK by small boat broken down by sex is published in table Irr_D01 of the ‘Irregular migration detailed datasets’. This release covers the period 2018 to June 2024.

How many people who arrived in the UK by small boats are (a) male and (b) female.

The Home Office publishes data on returns of foreign national offenders (FNOs) in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly release’. Data on total returns of FNOs by nationality can be found in table Ret_D03 of the ‘returns detailed datasets’, with the latest data going up to the end of June 2024. Figures on FNO returns are not broken down by return type, and include enforced returns, voluntary returns and a small number of FNOs refused entry at port and subsequently returned.Deportations are a specific subset of total FNO returns which are enforced either following a criminal conviction or when it is judged that a person’s removal from the UK is conducive to the public good. The deportation order prohibits the person returning to the UK until such time as it may be revoked.The Home Office does not regularly publish information about FNO appeals. However, in February 2022 an ad-hoc transparency piece on FNO lodged and allowed appeals, covering the period 2008 to 2021, was released. This provides numbers of FNO appeals lodged, and the numbers of those which are subsequently allowed, and of those how many were allowed on human rights grounds only, broken down by financial year of the appeal lodged date.Data on the number of individuals arriving in the UK by small boat broken down by sex is published in table Irr_D01 of the ‘Irregular migration detailed datasets’. This release covers the period 2018 to June 2024.

Whether her Department plans to increase the salary threshold for skilled worker visas.

The Home Secretary confirmed on 30 July that we will be retaining the salary threshold increase brought in by the previous government. Further details can be found in her Written Ministerial Statement here: Written statements - Written questions, answers and statements - UK ParliamentThe Government keeps all routes under regular review to ensure they are operating in the best interests of the UK when it comes to future recruitment. Salary thresholds are updated annually so that they continue to reflect salaries paid to occupations according to the latest actual data from Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings.

What steps her Department is taking to help tackle knife crime in Essex.

In the year ending March 2024, there were 1,539 offences involving knives or sharp instruments recorded by Essex Police, a fall of 8% compared with the year ending March 2023 (1,667). Across England and Wales (excluding Greater Manchester Police), the number of knife and sharp instrument offences rose by 4% across the same period (from 48,409 offences in year ending March 2023 to 50,510 offences in year ending March 2024).The Government is already taking action to get dangerous weapons off the street. We have banned Zombie style knives and zombie style machetes, and , the manufacture, supply, sale and possession of zombie-style knives and machetes became illegal on 24 September 2024. We will also be taking action to ban ninja swords in line with our manifesto commitment and a review of online sales of knives is currently being conducted by Commander Clayman of the Metropolitan Police at the request of the Home Secretary.We will also create a new Young Futures programme - intervening earlier to stop young people being drawn into crime. It is vital we have a system that can identify and support those young people who need it most and we will be introducing Prevention Partnerships and Young Futures Hubs to help deliver this.

What assessment her Department has made of recent trends in the level of knife crime in Essex.

In the year ending March 2024, there were 1,539 offences involving knives or sharp instruments recorded by Essex Police, a fall of 8% compared with the year ending March 2023 (1,667). Across England and Wales (excluding Greater Manchester Police), the number of knife and sharp instrument offences rose by 4% across the same period (from 48,409 offences in year ending March 2023 to 50,510 offences in year ending March 2024).The Government is already taking action to get dangerous weapons off the street. We have banned Zombie style knives and zombie style machetes, and , the manufacture, supply, sale and possession of zombie-style knives and machetes became illegal on 24 September 2024. We will also be taking action to ban ninja swords in line with our manifesto commitment and a review of online sales of knives is currently being conducted by Commander Clayman of the Metropolitan Police at the request of the Home Secretary.We will also create a new Young Futures programme - intervening earlier to stop young people being drawn into crime. It is vital we have a system that can identify and support those young people who need it most and we will be introducing Prevention Partnerships and Young Futures Hubs to help deliver this.

How many irregular migrants are housed in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.

The Home Office does not reserve beds for irregular migrants. In accordance with the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, 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 Government is determined to restore order to the asylum system so that it operates swiftly, firmly and fairly. This includes our accommodation sites, as the Home Office continues to identify a range of options to minimise the use of hotels and ensure better use of public money, whilst maintaining sufficient accommodation to meet demand. Data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation by local authority can be found within the Asy_D11 tab for our most recent statistics release. The data can also be broken down by local authority. Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab)

How many beds are reserved to house irregular migrants in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.

The Home Office does not reserve beds for irregular migrants. In accordance with the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, 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 Government is determined to restore order to the asylum system so that it operates swiftly, firmly and fairly. This includes our accommodation sites, as the Home Office continues to identify a range of options to minimise the use of hotels and ensure better use of public money, whilst maintaining sufficient accommodation to meet demand. Data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation by local authority can be found within the Asy_D11 tab for our most recent statistics release. The data can also be broken down by local authority. Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab)

What steps she plans to take to tackle anti-social behaviour in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.

Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for this Government, and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission to take back our streets.We will put thousands of new neighbourhood police and community support officers back on the beat in local communities, and ensure that residents have a named officer they can turn to when things go wrong.We will crack down on those causing havoc on our high streets by introducing tougher powers via a Crime and Policing Bill, including new Respect Order to tackle repeat offending.