Written questions by Shannon.

How many people have been prosecuted for charges related to brothels in the last 12 months.

The Home Office collects information on the number of notifiable offences recorded by the police in England and Wales.Of those notifiable offences which relate explicitly to brothels, the latest information shows there were 12 charge/summons under offence code ‘024/19 - Keeping A Brothel Used For Prostitution’ recorded by the police in England and Wales, in the year ending March 2025 (excluding Humberside police).In the same period, there were 0 charge/summons under offence code ‘109/06 – Allowing a child or young person to be in a brothel’ recorded by the police.It’s worth noting that while these are the only offences explicitly classified as brothel-related, a number of other sexual offences may occur within a brothel setting. However, data on those offences is not collated under a specific brothel-related category.

What steps her Department is taking with international partners to disrupt cross-jurisdictional fraud networks.

The Home Office is committed to leading international efforts to tackle fraud, which is why we are supporting the next Global Fraud Summit in March 2026, hosted by UNODC and INTERPOL. This will be a key event to strengthen the global fight against fraud and will include ministers, private industry and civil society from across the world.We are also working bilaterally with key countries to build capability and strengthen their ability to tackle and disrupt fraud before it reaches the UK. This has already resulted in a Memorandum of Understanding between UK and Nigeria, signed this spring by Lord Hanson in Abuja, agreeing a clear framework of future collaboration, including on policy development, law enforcement, and information sharing to tackle fraud.

What steps she is taking to help tackle cannabis use on streets.

Tackling anti-social behaviour including cannabis use is a top Government priority, and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission. The Government has committed to adding 13,000 neighbourhood police and community support officers into local communities and ensuring residents have a named officer they can turn to when things go wrong. It is unlawful to possess or supply cannabis without a Home Office licence and we expect the police to enforce the law. As a class B drug, the maximum penalty for possession of cannabis is up to five years in prison, an unlimited fine or both. Law enforcement agencies will use evidence and intelligence to identify and take action against drug users and change their behaviour.The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police, local authorities and other relevant agencies with a range of flexible tools and powers that they can use to respond quickly and effectively to all forms of anti-social behaviour, including cannabis use.We remain committed to working across public health, education, policing and wider public services on prevention to drive down drug use and ensure more people receive timely intervention and support.

What estimate she has made of the number of people working in the UK illegally after their visa has expired.

The Home Office does not currently hold a reliable estimate of the number of individuals working in the UK following the expiry of their visas.The government takes illegal working very seriously, and we are determined to clamp down on the employment of individuals with no right to work in the UK.The Department continues to review its data collection and enforcement strategies to improve oversight of visa compliance and reduce the risk of illegal working.

What steps she is taking to deport convicted violent foreign criminals.

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.This government has already removed almost 5,200 foreign national offenders in its first year of office, a 14 per cent increase on the previous twelve months (5 July 2024 to 4 July 2025) and we will continue to crack down on any foreign nationals who come to this country and break our rules.

How many Class A drugs have been seized from organised crime in the last 12 months.

The most recent figures on Class A drug seizures are available in the Seizures of Drugs in England and Wales, financial year ending 2024 statistical release. This publication reports the total number of Class A drug seizures made by police forces and Border Force in England and Wales.Additional data on Class A seizures made by Border Force are published quarterly as part of the Border Force transparency data. These figures cover England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland combined.It is not possible to disaggregate these data to identify seizures specifically related to organised crime.Published sources:Seizures of Drugs in England and Wales, financial year ending 2024: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/seizures-of-drugs-in-england-and-wales-financial-year-ending-2024/seizures-of-drugs-in-england-and-wales-financial-year-ending-2024Border Force Transparency Data: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68b5a5f1b0a373a01819fce1/border-force-transparency-data-apr-jun-2025.ods

What steps she is taking to improve the effectiveness of fraud (a) prevention and (b) detection by public sector bodies.

We recognise the financial and emotional impacts that fraud, and wider economic crime, can have. The Home Office does not hold a specific figure on the annual cost of fraud to the economy, however, the estimated total cost of fraud to society was £6.8bn in 2019/20 (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64539087faf4aa0012e132cb/Fraud_Strategy_2023.pdf).We remain fully committed to attracting and retaining the necessary talent in our workforce to crack down on economic crime, including fraud. In FY2025/26, the Home Office is allocating over £160m to public agencies, including law enforcement, to tackle economic crime. Allocations for the next Spending Review period (FY2026/27 onwards) will be confirmed in due course.The newly established National Fraud Squad (NFS) includes 400 new specialist posts led by the National Economic Crime Centre and City of London Police (CoLP). The NFS is transforming the law enforcement response to fraud, by taking a proactive, intelligence-led approach to identifying and disrupting the most serious fraudsters, domestically and overseas, to prevent frauds from reaching victims.We are also working with CoLP (in their role as National Lead Force for fraud) to support forces in overseeing wider policing’s activity on fraud, promoting best practice, sharing intelligence, providing training, and holding forces to account on delivery. CoLP continues to push for the prioritisation of fraud within police forces, and influence leadership within local forces to increase dedicated resource towards the fraud threat.

What steps she is taking to increase (a) funding and (b) staffing for public agencies responsible for investigating (i) fraud and (ii) economic crime.

We recognise the financial and emotional impacts that fraud, and wider economic crime, can have. The Home Office does not hold a specific figure on the annual cost of fraud to the economy, however, the estimated total cost of fraud to society was £6.8bn in 2019/20 (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64539087faf4aa0012e132cb/Fraud_Strategy_2023.pdf).We remain fully committed to attracting and retaining the necessary talent in our workforce to crack down on economic crime, including fraud. In FY2025/26, the Home Office is allocating over £160m to public agencies, including law enforcement, to tackle economic crime. Allocations for the next Spending Review period (FY2026/27 onwards) will be confirmed in due course.The newly established National Fraud Squad (NFS) includes 400 new specialist posts led by the National Economic Crime Centre and City of London Police (CoLP). The NFS is transforming the law enforcement response to fraud, by taking a proactive, intelligence-led approach to identifying and disrupting the most serious fraudsters, domestically and overseas, to prevent frauds from reaching victims.We are also working with CoLP (in their role as National Lead Force for fraud) to support forces in overseeing wider policing’s activity on fraud, promoting best practice, sharing intelligence, providing training, and holding forces to account on delivery. CoLP continues to push for the prioritisation of fraud within police forces, and influence leadership within local forces to increase dedicated resource towards the fraud threat.

What estimate she has made of the annual cost of fraud to the economy; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of that cost on departmental funding decisions.

We recognise the financial and emotional impacts that fraud, and wider economic crime, can have. The Home Office does not hold a specific figure on the annual cost of fraud to the economy, however, the estimated total cost of fraud to society was £6.8bn in 2019/20 (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64539087faf4aa0012e132cb/Fraud_Strategy_2023.pdf).We remain fully committed to attracting and retaining the necessary talent in our workforce to crack down on economic crime, including fraud. In FY2025/26, the Home Office is allocating over £160m to public agencies, including law enforcement, to tackle economic crime. Allocations for the next Spending Review period (FY2026/27 onwards) will be confirmed in due course.The newly established National Fraud Squad (NFS) includes 400 new specialist posts led by the National Economic Crime Centre and City of London Police (CoLP). The NFS is transforming the law enforcement response to fraud, by taking a proactive, intelligence-led approach to identifying and disrupting the most serious fraudsters, domestically and overseas, to prevent frauds from reaching victims.We are also working with CoLP (in their role as National Lead Force for fraud) to support forces in overseeing wider policing’s activity on fraud, promoting best practice, sharing intelligence, providing training, and holding forces to account on delivery. CoLP continues to push for the prioritisation of fraud within police forces, and influence leadership within local forces to increase dedicated resource towards the fraud threat.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of harm reduction policies on levels of drug-related crime.

The Government is determined to tackle drug harms and drug-driven crime. This includes investment in drug treatment and wider healthcare services, support for those recovering from drug dependence, enforcement to tackle drugs supply overseas, at the border and within the UK, and prevention and education in schools and through public health services. The legislative framework is also a key underpinning of reducing harm by ensuring the most harmful drugs are controlled and can only be accessed with a HO licence, as well as giving police the powers they need to act against the violent and exploitative criminal gangs behind the drug trade and others involved in drug-related crime.The government is committed to a long-term, system-wide approach to reducing drug harms, learning from what works and ensuring this supports delivery of the government’s missions.

What steps she is taking to help tackle organised crime.

The government is committed to tackling Serious and Organised Crime (SOC). SOC is a major threat to the national security and prosperity of the UK. It costs lives, blights communities, hampers economic growth, and corrodes the global reputation of the UK and its institutions.The National Crime Agency (NCA) plays a pivotal role in disrupting SOC and In November last year the Prime Minister announced an additional £58m to the Agency’s core budget in 2025/26 to support NCA’s disruptions of serious and organised crime. This represents an increase of 9% from their 2024/25 core budget.In addition, on 11 June 2025, the Chancellor announced up to £280 million per year for the Border Security Command by the end of the spending review period in 2028-2029. We’ve boosted the NCA’s capacity to tackle organised immigration crime by funding 100 new specialist officers, bringing the total dedicated FTE close to 500.We have also introduced the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill to bring forward new laws to protect the UK border and our communities. This includes a series of measures to enhance the effectiveness of SCPOs, including a new Interim Serious Crime Prevention Order (ISCPO), which will speed up the process for placing restrictions on suspects to prevent, disrupt and restrict serious crime. The Bill also brings forward new criminal offences related to the possession and supply of articles used in serious crime, targeting those who enable or facilitate such activity. (SOC articles included are vehicle concealments, pill presses and templates for 3D printed firearms components).

How many people have been arrested in the UK for gathering intelligence.

The Home Office collects and publishes data on arrests in England and Wales by offence group, as part of the ‘Police Powers and Procedures’ statistical series. The most recent data can be accessed here: Stop and search, arrests and mental health detentions, March 2024 - GOV.UKHowever, the data is collected by broader offence group e.g. “public order offences”, therefore data on arrests for more specific offences are not held by the Home Office.

What steps she is taking to increase sentences for sexual predators.

Sentencing in individual cases is a matter for our independent courts. When deciding what sentence to impose, courts must consider the circumstances of the case, including the culpability of the offender, the harm they caused or intended to cause, and any aggravating and mitigating factors.Courts are assisted in setting a sentence by sentencing guidelines which are issued by the Sentencing Council, and which the courts must follow unless it is not in the interests of justice to do so. The Government continues to keep maximum penalties under review to ensure they reflect the seriousness of offending behaviour.Through the Crime and Policing Bill we are legislating to make grooming a statutory aggravating factor in the sentencing of child sexual offences.

What estimate her Department has made of the number of people who have arrived illegally using boats in the last six months.

The Home Office publishes daily statistics on detected small boat arrivals to the UK in the Small boat activity in the English Channel - GOV.UK release. More detailed published data on small boat arrivals to the UK are provided in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’, with the nationality, age grouping and sex of arrivals shown in table Irr_D01 of the ‘Irregular migration to the UK detailed datasets’, with the latest data up to the end of March 2025.

What mechanisms exist with her counterpart in the Northern Ireland Executive for (a) communication and (b) support to ensure immigration legislation is applied consistently.

Nationality, Immigration and Asylum are excepted matters under the Northern Ireland (NI) devolution settlement, and the Home Office works closely with the NI Executive on areas where Nationality, Immigration and Asylum matters impact on transferred matters that are the NI Executive’s responsibility.Everyone entering the UK, regardless of where they enter from, is required to meet UK immigration requirements. Anyone identified attempting to circumvent UK border controls is liable to be detained and, if they are not lawfully present within the UK, removed.

What steps is she taking to tackle racist attacks on community centres; and what discussions she has had with the devolved Administrations on this matter.

We have a strong legal framework in place to deal with the perpetrators of racist and other forms of hate crime and expect the perpetrators of these abhorrent offences to be brought to justice.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of seizures of cocaine at (a) ports and (b) airports on the supply of the drug.

In 2023/24, 28.3 tonnes of powder cocaine was seized by police and Border Force in England and Wales. This was an increase from 18.6 tonnes the previous year and the largest recorded quantity of cocaine seized since the time series began in 1973.However, serious criminals are constantly developing their approaches to traffic cocaine into the UK in response to our efforts at the border. This includes changing their trafficking routes and evolving their methodologies to evade detection, for example, diversifying importation methods through at-sea-drop-offs.We therefore recognise that we must continue to adapt our strategy and work more closely with law enforcement partners upstream to stop cocaine trafficking at source and all across the supply chain, targeting the gangs responsible, and bringing them to justice. Officials will continue to assess the impact of global drug trafficking on the UK and implement new approaches to respond to this threat.

Whether she has any plans to upgrade cannabis to a class A controlled substance.

The Government has no current plans to review the classification of cannabis.

With reference to the White Paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May 2025, when she plans to publish the (a) eligibility criteria and (b) application process for (i) employers and (ii) sectors for occupations listed on the proposed Temporary Shortage List; and if she will set out the criteria for inclusion on the proposed Temporary Shortage List.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave to UIN 63590 on 8 July.

What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle violence against women and girls in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the rest of the UK.

Achieving our commitment to halve violence against women and girls in a decade requires close cooperation and coordination across Government, public services, the private sector, and the charity sector. Through the Safer Streets Mission Board and VAWG Ministerial Group, we are driving collective action across Government to achieve this. We will set out further detail in a new, transformative VAWG Strategy, which we aim to publish in September.While crime prevention, policing, and justice policy are reserved matters in England and Wales, we are also working closely with partners in Scotland and Northern Ireland in achieving our shared ambition in tackling VAWG.