Written questions by McMurdock.

What assessment she has made of the difference in police response times to time-sensitive incidents such as (a) vehicle theft and (b) robberies of retail premises in (i) rural areas and (ii) urban areas.

Rural communities can be assured that visible, neighbourhood policing is returning to our communities. Our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee will deliver more neighbourhood police by the end of the Parliament, whilst also ensuring each community, including rural communities, has a named, contactable officer to turn to.The Home Office will continue to work with policing colleagues on options to deliver the 13,000 neighbourhood policing personnel, including setting out further plans and funding for subsequent years shortly.The Government recognises that there can be challenges in responding to rural crime, which is why we worked closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) to deliver the next iteration of their Rural and Wildlife Crime strategy and sets out operational and organisational policing priorities in respect of tackling those crimes that predominantly affect our rural communities.This financial year the Home Office has provided the first Government funding since 2023 for the National Rural Crime Unit (£365,000) as well as continuing funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit (£450,000). The National Rural Crime Unit assists all police forces, including Essex, with specialist operational support in their responses to rural crime.All reported crimes should be taken seriously, investigated and, where appropriate, taken through the courts and met with tough sentences. Operational decisions will continue to be a matter for individual police chiefs and their force, and it is right that each incident is looked at on a case-by-case basis, on the evidence available and in proportion to the crime.

Communities and Local Government, if he will confirm the timeline for the boundary review for the 2027 Greater Essex shadow elections.

The Government received four reorganisation proposals from Essex, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock councils on 26 September 2025. On 19 November 2025, we launched a consultation on these proposals which will run for seven weeks until 11 January 2026. A decision, on which, if any, proposal to implement will follow the closure of the consultation The Government will work with areas to hold elections for new unitary councils as soon as possible as is the usual arrangement for local government reorganisation. Our desire is that elections will be held to new councils in May 2027 ahead of “go live” for the new structures in 2028.

Communities and Local Government, whether shadow elections for Greater Essex will proceed as previously planned for 2027.

The Government received four reorganisation proposals from Essex, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock councils on 26 September 2025. On 19 November 2025, we launched a consultation on these proposals which will run for seven weeks until 11 January 2026. A decision, on which, if any, proposal to implement will follow the closure of the consultation The Government will work with areas to hold elections for new unitary councils as soon as possible as is the usual arrangement for local government reorganisation. Our desire is that elections will be held to new councils in May 2027 ahead of “go live” for the new structures in 2028.

Communities and Local Government, if he will publish the minutes for any meetings held on Greater Essex's shadow elections scheduled for 2027.

The Government received four reorganisation proposals from Essex, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock councils on 26 September 2025. On 19 November 2025, we launched a consultation on these proposals which will run for seven weeks until 11 January 2026. A decision, on which, if any, proposal to implement will follow the closure of the consultation The Government will work with areas to hold elections for new unitary councils as soon as possible as is the usual arrangement for local government reorganisation. Our desire is that elections will be held to new councils in May 2027 ahead of “go live” for the new structures in 2028.

If he will introduce additional safeguards for patients assessed as being at higher risk of harm following discharge from mental health inpatient wards.

The national ambition is for all mental health trusts to ensure 80% of patients discharged from adult acute mental health inpatient settings are followed up within 72 hours, and is intended to bring focus not just to the timeliness of follow-up, but also to the quality of pre and post-discharge care and safety planning and support. NHS England routinely monitors performance against this target at an integrated care board (ICB) level, which is subject to the same quality and performance oversight as other national targets. This expectation is reinforced through national statutory guidance on Discharge from mental health inpatient settings, and data on performance is also published on a monthly basis, with 75% of discharges in October 2025 meeting the ambition. Over 40% of ICBs met or exceeded the target in October 2025. Further information on the Discharge from mental health inpatient settings guidance and the monthly data is available respectively, at the following two links: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/discharge-from-mental-health-inpatient-settings/discharge-from-mental-health-inpatient-settings https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiOTdjYzFiYTUtZmEwMi00ZTA2LTkxOGUtMDZmMmZjMThiZGNhIiwidCI6IjM3YzM1NGIyLTg1YjAtNDdmNS1iMjIyLTA3YjQ4ZDc3NGVlMyJ9 The timeliness of follow-up support is linked to the capacity of community teams and pathways between inpatient and community services which vary across the country. Mental health services are facing significant pressures with more people being seen than ever before. Ongoing improvements in community mental healthcare and work to localise and realign inpatient mental health care within ICBs is expected to improve the national picture. While the central metric of the new standard focuses on the timeliness of follow up, the overarching expectation is that this will incentivise focus on overall quality of discharge planning and support. This is expected to have a direct impact on patient experience as well as outcomes. The Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025/26 includes the expectation that plans should be set out for the consistent and systematic use of the mental health Urgent and Emergency Care Action Cards in all relevant settings, namely acute settings, and delivery of the 10 high-impact actions for mental health discharges to support flow through all mental health, including child and adolescent mental health, and learning disability and autism pathways. Further information on the Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025/26 and mental health discharges is available, respectively, at the following two links: https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/urgent-and-emergency-care-plan-2025-26/ https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/discharge-challenge-for-mental-health-and-community-services-providers/

What assessment he has made of the reasons for ICB non-compliance with the 72-hour follow-up requirement for mental health inpatients.

The national ambition is for all mental health trusts to ensure 80% of patients discharged from adult acute mental health inpatient settings are followed up within 72 hours, and is intended to bring focus not just to the timeliness of follow-up, but also to the quality of pre and post-discharge care and safety planning and support. NHS England routinely monitors performance against this target at an integrated care board (ICB) level, which is subject to the same quality and performance oversight as other national targets. This expectation is reinforced through national statutory guidance on Discharge from mental health inpatient settings, and data on performance is also published on a monthly basis, with 75% of discharges in October 2025 meeting the ambition. Over 40% of ICBs met or exceeded the target in October 2025. Further information on the Discharge from mental health inpatient settings guidance and the monthly data is available respectively, at the following two links: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/discharge-from-mental-health-inpatient-settings/discharge-from-mental-health-inpatient-settings https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiOTdjYzFiYTUtZmEwMi00ZTA2LTkxOGUtMDZmMmZjMThiZGNhIiwidCI6IjM3YzM1NGIyLTg1YjAtNDdmNS1iMjIyLTA3YjQ4ZDc3NGVlMyJ9 The timeliness of follow-up support is linked to the capacity of community teams and pathways between inpatient and community services which vary across the country. Mental health services are facing significant pressures with more people being seen than ever before. Ongoing improvements in community mental healthcare and work to localise and realign inpatient mental health care within ICBs is expected to improve the national picture. While the central metric of the new standard focuses on the timeliness of follow up, the overarching expectation is that this will incentivise focus on overall quality of discharge planning and support. This is expected to have a direct impact on patient experience as well as outcomes. The Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025/26 includes the expectation that plans should be set out for the consistent and systematic use of the mental health Urgent and Emergency Care Action Cards in all relevant settings, namely acute settings, and delivery of the 10 high-impact actions for mental health discharges to support flow through all mental health, including child and adolescent mental health, and learning disability and autism pathways. Further information on the Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025/26 and mental health discharges is available, respectively, at the following two links: https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/urgent-and-emergency-care-plan-2025-26/ https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/discharge-challenge-for-mental-health-and-community-services-providers/

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 December 2025 to Question 96915 on Mental Health Services: Standards, what steps he is taking to ensure that all people discharged from Integrated Care Board commissioned inpatient mental health services are followed up within 72 hours.

The national ambition is for all mental health trusts to ensure 80% of patients discharged from adult acute mental health inpatient settings are followed up within 72 hours, and is intended to bring focus not just to the timeliness of follow-up, but also to the quality of pre and post-discharge care and safety planning and support. NHS England routinely monitors performance against this target at an integrated care board (ICB) level, which is subject to the same quality and performance oversight as other national targets. This expectation is reinforced through national statutory guidance on Discharge from mental health inpatient settings, and data on performance is also published on a monthly basis, with 75% of discharges in October 2025 meeting the ambition. Over 40% of ICBs met or exceeded the target in October 2025. Further information on the Discharge from mental health inpatient settings guidance and the monthly data is available respectively, at the following two links: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/discharge-from-mental-health-inpatient-settings/discharge-from-mental-health-inpatient-settings https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiOTdjYzFiYTUtZmEwMi00ZTA2LTkxOGUtMDZmMmZjMThiZGNhIiwidCI6IjM3YzM1NGIyLTg1YjAtNDdmNS1iMjIyLTA3YjQ4ZDc3NGVlMyJ9 The timeliness of follow-up support is linked to the capacity of community teams and pathways between inpatient and community services which vary across the country. Mental health services are facing significant pressures with more people being seen than ever before. Ongoing improvements in community mental healthcare and work to localise and realign inpatient mental health care within ICBs is expected to improve the national picture. While the central metric of the new standard focuses on the timeliness of follow up, the overarching expectation is that this will incentivise focus on overall quality of discharge planning and support. This is expected to have a direct impact on patient experience as well as outcomes. The Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025/26 includes the expectation that plans should be set out for the consistent and systematic use of the mental health Urgent and Emergency Care Action Cards in all relevant settings, namely acute settings, and delivery of the 10 high-impact actions for mental health discharges to support flow through all mental health, including child and adolescent mental health, and learning disability and autism pathways. Further information on the Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025/26 and mental health discharges is available, respectively, at the following two links: https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/urgent-and-emergency-care-plan-2025-26/ https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/discharge-challenge-for-mental-health-and-community-services-providers/

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 December 2025 to Question 96915, what assessment he has made of the levels of variation in compliance with the 72-hour follow-up requirement between integrated care boards.

The national ambition is for all mental health trusts to ensure 80% of patients discharged from adult acute mental health inpatient settings are followed up within 72 hours, and is intended to bring focus not just to the timeliness of follow-up, but also to the quality of pre and post-discharge care and safety planning and support. NHS England routinely monitors performance against this target at an integrated care board (ICB) level, which is subject to the same quality and performance oversight as other national targets. This expectation is reinforced through national statutory guidance on Discharge from mental health inpatient settings, and data on performance is also published on a monthly basis, with 75% of discharges in October 2025 meeting the ambition. Over 40% of ICBs met or exceeded the target in October 2025. Further information on the Discharge from mental health inpatient settings guidance and the monthly data is available respectively, at the following two links: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/discharge-from-mental-health-inpatient-settings/discharge-from-mental-health-inpatient-settings https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiOTdjYzFiYTUtZmEwMi00ZTA2LTkxOGUtMDZmMmZjMThiZGNhIiwidCI6IjM3YzM1NGIyLTg1YjAtNDdmNS1iMjIyLTA3YjQ4ZDc3NGVlMyJ9 The timeliness of follow-up support is linked to the capacity of community teams and pathways between inpatient and community services which vary across the country. Mental health services are facing significant pressures with more people being seen than ever before. Ongoing improvements in community mental healthcare and work to localise and realign inpatient mental health care within ICBs is expected to improve the national picture. While the central metric of the new standard focuses on the timeliness of follow up, the overarching expectation is that this will incentivise focus on overall quality of discharge planning and support. This is expected to have a direct impact on patient experience as well as outcomes. The Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025/26 includes the expectation that plans should be set out for the consistent and systematic use of the mental health Urgent and Emergency Care Action Cards in all relevant settings, namely acute settings, and delivery of the 10 high-impact actions for mental health discharges to support flow through all mental health, including child and adolescent mental health, and learning disability and autism pathways. Further information on the Urgent and Emergency Care Plan for 2025/26 and mental health discharges is available, respectively, at the following two links: https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/urgent-and-emergency-care-plan-2025-26/ https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/discharge-challenge-for-mental-health-and-community-services-providers/

How many foreign nationals who were convicted of sexual offences were given suspended custodial sentences in each year since 2020.

The Ministry of Justice publishes information on convictions and sentencing information for sexual offences in the Outcomes by Offence data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal justice statistics quarterly - GOV.UK.However, it is not possibly to identify whether the offender was a foreign national. This information may be held in court records but to examine individual court records would incur disproportionate costs.

How many foreign national sex offenders have been convicted in each year since 2020.

The Ministry of Justice publishes information on convictions and sentencing information for sexual offences in the Outcomes by Offence data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal justice statistics quarterly - GOV.UK.However, it is not possibly to identify whether the offender was a foreign national. This information may be held in court records but to examine individual court records would incur disproportionate costs.

How many foreign nationals currently serving custodial sentences for sexual offences are held in prisons in England and Wales.

A breakdown of Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) by offence group is published in the Annual prison population statistics and the most recent publication can be found here: prison-population-2025.ods. Please see Table_1_A_26, which shows the breakdown as of 30 June 2025.As these statistics are published annually, we are not able to provide a more recent breakdown.Between 1 November 2024 and 31 October 2025, we removed over 2,700 FNOs under the Early Removal Scheme, that is more than the number removed over the same period in the 2024, and a significant 74% increase compared to the same period in 2023. It will free up much-needed space in our prisons.

How many foreign nationals convicted of sexual offences have been convicted of (a) a further sexual offence and (b) other violent offences after release from custody in the UK in each year since 2020.

The Ministry of Justice publishes information on convictions and sentencing information for sexual offences in the Outcomes by Offence data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal justice statistics quarterly - GOV.UK.However, it is not possibly to identify whether the offender was a foreign national. This information may be held in court records but to examine individual court records would incur disproportionate costs.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of food labelling requirements.

The UK maintains high standards on the information that is provided on food labels so that consumers can have confidence in the food that they buy. All food sold on the UK market must comply with food labelling rules, which include the requirement for specific information to be presented in a specific way. In June 2025, Defra published the summary of responses and government response to the fairer food labelling consultation, which was undertaken last year under the previous government. The response is available on GOV.UK. Defra is committed to engaging with stakeholders on improving transparency and ensuring consumer trust in labelling.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the capacity of magistrates’ courts to handle additional triable-either-way cases.

The magistrates’ court is an effective and efficient jurisdiction – In the 12 months to September 2025 it disposed of 1,448,163 cases with an average timeliness (offence to case completion) for the most recent quarter of 191 days. The Government will ensure there are sufficient numbers of magistrates and will seek to ensure that there are sufficient magistrates’ court sitting days to meet additional demand placed on the system.An impact assessment for the criminal court reforms will be published alongside legislation in the usual way. In 2024, triable either way offences in the magistrates’ courts completed more than four times faster than in the Crown Court.The Government has already made significant additional investment in the criminal justice system – in record sitting days, court buildings and technology, and in legal professionals. We have secured record investment (up to £450 million per year for the courts system over the Spending Review period), and we are investing almost £150 million to modernise the court estate, including magistrates’ courts. Discussions about the allocation for 2025-26 between the Deputy Prime Minister and Lady Chief Justice continue and we will provide more detail in due course. Nevertheless, the Deputy Prime Minister has been clear that sitting days in the Crown Court and magistrates’ courts must continue to rise.We are also accelerating our programme to recruit more new and diverse magistrates over the coming years and we continue to recruit high levels of legal advisers to ensure courts remain resilient.

What checks are carried out during visa applications to identify previous sexual offence convictions overseas.

We take the issue of preventing foreign criminals entering the UK extremely seriously, and we continue to strengthen our borders so that we can prevent crime and protect the public, delivering on this Government’s commitment to tackle foreign criminality. For example, those required to obtain a visa to enter the UK are checked against a range of police, security and immigration databases for details of any UK or overseas criminal record. All applicants are required to provide details of their criminal history. Where it is found that they failed to declare relevant offences/convictions, their application will be refused and they will be subject to a ten-year ban from applying to enter the UK.We do not hold information on the specific offences relating to refused applications.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of increased trials without juries on the number of judicial review applications.

Following reforms to the criminal courts, judicial review of criminal court decisions will be available in the same circumstances as it is currently. We might expect to see an increase in the number of applications, given we expect to see more cases retained in the magistrates’ courts; however, the permission stage of a judicial review will mean that only those with proper grounds for a judicial review will progress.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to Employee Car Ownership Schemes on the supply of nearly-new vehicles to the second-hand car market.

At Budget 2025, the government announced that, to allow more time for the sector to prepare for and adapt to the proposed changes in treatment to Employee Car Ownership Schemes (ECOS), its implementation will be delayed to 6 April 2030, with transitional arrangements until April 2032.The government has published a tax impact and information note, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/changes-to-employee-car-ownership-schemes-for-income-tax/changes-to-employee-car-ownership-schemes-ecos

What proportion of foreign national sex offenders were subject to deportation orders in each year since 2020.

The information you have requested is not available from published statistics. Work is currently underway to improve the quality of information held by the department on foreign national offenders (FNOs). Further information on this work can be found at: Statistics on foreign national offenders and the immigration system - GOV.UK. We are committed to delivering justice for victims and safer streets for our communities. Foreign nationals who commit serious crimes will face the full force of the law and be deported at the earliest opportunity. Between 1 November 2024 and 31 October 2025 this government has returned over 5,400 FNOs, a 12 per cent increase on the previous twelve months and we will continue to crack down on any foreign nationals who come to this country and break our laws.

What information her Department holds on the number of visa applicants whose applications were denied due to criminal records relating to sex offences since 2020.

We take the issue of preventing foreign criminals entering the UK extremely seriously, and we continue to strengthen our borders so that we can prevent crime and protect the public, delivering on this Government’s commitment to tackle foreign criminality. For example, those required to obtain a visa to enter the UK are checked against a range of police, security and immigration databases for details of any UK or overseas criminal record. All applicants are required to provide details of their criminal history. Where it is found that they failed to declare relevant offences/convictions, their application will be refused and they will be subject to a ten-year ban from applying to enter the UK.We do not hold information on the specific offences relating to refused applications.

What the principal barriers have been to the deportation of foreign nationals convicted of sexual offences since 2024; and what steps her Department is taking to help tackle those barriers.

The Home Office deals with significant and complex challenges when seeking to return those who have no right to be in the UK to their country of origin. Sometimes the UK’s current obligations under international law prohibit us from returning certain individuals despite their criminality. Legal or re-documentation barriers can frustrate immediate deportation. Despite these barriers, we are fully committed to making our communities safer by deporting those who break our laws.To address these challenges, this government is committed to reforming the appeals process by creating a new appeals body with professionally trained adjudicators. We will also strengthen the certification regime to deny appeal rights for clearly unmeritorious claims. Furthermore, the number of countries that foreign national offenders can be deported to before they can lodge an appeal from abroad has also been increased.We are also working to reform Human Rights and Modern Slavery claims. In these areas we will rebalance the public interest test for Article 8 claims and work with our international partners to reform the application of the ECHR’s prohibition on inhuman or degrading treatment. With the Modern Slavery reforms legislation will be brought forward to clarify our responsibilities under international law, the removal of reconsideration for negative decisions, enhanced screening for individuals detained for removal, and a stronger link between timely disclosure and credibility of a claim.Finally, under new measures introduced by the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025, sexual offences which give rise to the notification requirement in Schedule 3 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 will be assumed to be ‘particularly serious’ for the purpose of applying Article 33(2) of the Refugee Convention, thereby allowing the UK to exclude those individuals from being granted asylum protections in the UK.Where removal is still not possible due to our ECHR obligations, the provision will ensure that such individuals are not afforded the generous benefits of protection status in the UK.