Every parliamentary written question tabled by Jim Shannon this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 101–120 of 137 · Home Office
Whether she has had discussions with the Police Service of Northern Ireland on the timing of the implementation of firearms licenses.
Northern Ireland has its own firearms legislation which is separate to the legislation in Great Britain. This is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Government and this legislation governs how the Police Service of Northern Ireland undertakes its firearms licensing functions.
What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the backlog of settled status applications.
As of the end of December 2024, 98% of all applications for status under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) have been concluded by the Home Office. Information on average processing times can be found on GOV.UK at EU Settlement Scheme: current estimated processing times for applications - GOV.UK. The majority of applications are decided very quickly. However, in some instances, where a case is less straightforward, the overall processing time will vary as caseworkers endeavor to engage with applicants to help them provide the evidence needed to support their application. At present, most applications to the EUSS are from people who already hold an initial grant of pre-settled status and who are applying to upgrade to settled status. Earlier this year, the Home Office has introduced a new process to automatically convert eligible pre-settled status holders to settled status, without the need for them to make a further EUSS application.
If she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the number of racial attacks in football game settings in the last 12 months.
The Government is determined to tackle hate crime across England and Wales, including offences that occur at football matches, and we are clear there is no place for racism in sport or society.We have a robust legislative framework in place to respond to all forms of hate crime, including racial attacks. There is an expectation in law that anyone convicted of a hate crime offence linked to a football match will receive a football banning order, preventing them from attending all regulated football matches in England and Wales for a period of three to five years, or six to ten years if a custodial sentence is imposed.We back the police in taking strong action against perpetrators of these appalling offences and we are continuing to fund the UK Football Policing Unit, which works in conjunction with the Government and the National Police Chiefs’ Council Football Lead (NPCC) to reduce all forms of violence, anti-social behaviour and disorder at football events involving UK football teams.The Home Office publishes annual statistics on football-related disorder in England and Wales. This includes information on the number of matches with reported incidents of hate crimes relating to race. The latest available data, which covers the 2023 to 2024 season, can be found in table 11 of the supporting data tables to the Football-related arrests and banning orders publication on GOV.UK: 'Football-related arrests and banning orders, England and Wales: 2023 to 2024 data tables'.The Government also works with sports bodies, including Sport England, UK Sport, and national governing bodies, to tackle racism and discrimination in sport, and we expect them to take robust action whenever it occurs.Policing is devolved in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
What information her Department holds on the number of people charged with aggravated burglary over the last 12 months.
The Home Office collects and publishes information on the number of notifiable offences, and their investigative outcomes, recorded by the police in England and Wales, on a quarterly basis. This information, including aggravated burglary offences, can be accessed here:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tablesCrime statistics for Northern Ireland are the responsibility of the devolved administration. These can be accessed here:https://www.psni.police.uk/about-us/our-publications-and-reports/official-statistics/police-recorded-crime-statistics
What steps she is taking to improve the accessibility of online electronic travel authorisations for elderly people.
The ETA application process is quick, light touch and user friendly. Although applications can only be made via the app or internet, applicants are free to ask the assistance of a friend or relative to make an application on their behalf. We regularly review our online application processes to ensure that they are in line with accessibility and usability standards, and provide public information videos on how to apply.
What assessment she has made of recent trends in the level of underage drug use across the UK.
There are several surveys estimating the number of young drug users in the UK: According to the Crime Survey for England and Wales, in the year ending March 2024, 16.5% of people aged 16-24 in England and Wales reported using a drug in the last 12 months (approximately 971,000 people). This is a reduction from 17.6% of people aged 16-24 in the year ending March 2023 (approximately 1,035,000 people).According to the Scottish Health Survey 2023, 26% of people aged 16-24 in Scotland reported using a drug in the last 12 months. This is an increase from 22% in 2021.According to the Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use among Young People in England survey, in 2023, 9% of children aged 11-15 in England reported taking a drug in the last year. This is a reduction from 12% of children aged 11-15 in 2021.This Government is committed to tackling these numbers head on. I know the most sustainable approach to reducing drug use across society in the long term is through preventing use among children and young people, and work continues across Government to proactively support this cohort by building their long-term resilience and intervening early to stop them from being drawn into crime and a range of wider risky behaviours.This Government is also committed to tackling county lines and drugs supply. County Lines are the most violent model of drug supply and a harmful form of child criminal exploitation. Through the County Lines Programme, we will continue to target exploitative drug dealing gangs and break the organised crime groups behind the trade.Since July 2024, policing activity delivered through the County Lines Programme has resulted in over 400 deal lines being closed, the arrest and charge of over 200 deal line holders, 500 arrests and 800 safeguarding referrals of children and vulnerable people. Over 260 children and young people have also received dedicated specialist support through our county lines support service since July.Developing the evidence base on what works to facilitate behaviour change and prevent escalation to more harmful use and or dependency is an important part of that. I look forward to receiving the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs’ report which will provide insights into effective whole-system approaches to prevention of drug use in children and young people.
What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of reports of the illegal selling of weight loss drugs.
The Department for Health and Social Care are responsible for policy on human medicines, and the illegal sale and supply of human medicines is recognised as a significant challenge for regulators across the world. Buying medicines, including weight loss medicines, from illegally trading websites can be harmful to health, as the medicines received are generally unlicensed in the United Kingdom, and can contain too little, too much, or incorrect active ingredients.Some weight-loss medicines (such as Phentermine) are controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and therefore a person unlawfully possessing, supplying or producing would be subject to the appropriate penalties. Further information about these penalties can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/penalties-drug-possession-dealing.This Government understands the dangers that counterfeit, and illegally imported, drugs can cause. This is why law enforcement agencies, and other partners, work around the clock to stop and intercept illegal products from crossing our borders.
What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the accessibility of knives online.
The Government has set out an unprecedented mission to halve knife crime in a decade and we are already taking a range of steps to make our communities a safer place for our young people.We know that more needs to be done to tackle the sale of knives and offensive weapons online which is why last October, the Home Secretary asked Commander Stephen Clayman, as the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for knife crime, to carry out a review into the online sale and delivery of knives. The review was published on 19 February 2025: www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-end-to-end-review-of-online-knife-salesWe have already decided to take forward the most pressing recommendations in the report and have announced “Ronan’s Law” a range of measures which will include stricter rules for online sellers of knives including strengthening age verification controls and checks through a two-stage age verification system at the point of purchase and on delivery. We are increasing the penalties for illegal sales of knives, funding a new online police coordination hub to take action against illegal knife and weapon content online; and we are intending to consult later this year on a registration scheme for online sellers of knives.It is a Government manifesto commitment to hold senior executives of online platforms and marketplaces to account for illegal knife related content around the sale of prohibited offensive weapons or illegal marketing of knives in ways which encourages violence. We ran a public consultation on these proposals which closed on 11 December 2024 and we will be publishing our response shortly.We have also implemented the ban on zombie-style knives and zombie-style machetes. The ban came in to force on 24 September 2024 and it is now illegal to sell, manufacture, supply or possess these weapons.It is also a Government manifesto commitment to ban ninja swords and we ran a consultation between 13 November 2024 and 11 December 2024 to clarify the legal definition. We are now moving forward with our plans to ban ninja swords later this year.
How many assaults on transport staff there have been in the last 12 months.
The Home Office collects and publishes information on the number of offences and their investigative outcomes recorded by the police in England and Wales on a quarterly basis, which can be accessed here:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tablesThis includes assault offences recorded by British Transport Police. However, it is not currently possible to separately identify assaults against staff from those against passengers in data held centrally.
How many people are awaiting appeal decisions in under the Afghan resettlement scheme.
The Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP) has brought together the previous Afghan resettlement schemes into a single, efficient pipeline. In order to improve efficiency, value for money and outcomes across Afghan Resettlement.The latest published statistics (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-system-statistics-year-ending-september-2024) show that (up to the end of September 2024) we have brought around 33,400 people to safety from Afghanistan and the region.Afghan operational data is viewable at Afghan Resettlement Programme: operational data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and is released quarterly. There is no right of appeal against eligibility decisions made under the ARP.
How many people aged under 25 were charged with possession of cocaine in the last 12 months.
The Home Office collects information on the number of ‘Having Possession Of A Controlled Drug - Class A Cocaine’ offences recorded by the police in England and Wales, and their investigative outcomes including charges.Information, for the year to June 2024, on the age of suspects charged for possession of cocaine is provided in the table below. However, information on the age of the suspect is not quality assured as it is not currently routinely published or collected as official statistics from forces and in 43% of cases age has not been provided.Number of offences resulting in charge/summons, year ending June 2024, broken down by age-group, for ‘Having Possession Of A Controlled Drug - Class A Cocaine’ offences, England and Wales (excluding Humberside Police)Age groupUnder 25s25+Not StatedGrand TotalNumber of offences resulting in charge/summons8732,7582,7386,369
How many visa applications were in the appeal system as of 28 January 2025.
Data on appeals receipts and open caseload is published by HM Courts and Tribunals Service on a quarterly basis. The latest publication can be found at Tribunals statistics quarterly: July to September 2024 - GOV.UK. Table FIA_1 and FIA_4 of the Main Tables section shows First-tier Tribunal appeal receipts and caseload volumes to 30 September 2024.
What progress she has made on the proposed electronic travel authorisation scheme in Northern Ireland.
The UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme was introduced on 25 October 2023 to enhance our ability to screen travellers upstream and stop those who pose a threat from travelling to the UK. It will be extended to eligible European nationals on 5 March 2025, and will be a requirement for this cohort for travel from 2 April 2025. Individuals arriving in the UK, including those crossing the land border into Northern Ireland, will need to continue to enter in line with the UK’s immigration framework, including the requirement to obtain an ETA if applicable.
How many applications there have been for firearms licenses in the last 12 months.
The Home Office collects and publishes information annually on the number of applications for firearms licence certificates in the statistical publication on firearm and shotgun certificates. The latest available data is for the year ending 31 March 2024 and can be accessed at the following link:Statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates: April 2023 to March 2024 - GOV. UK (www.gov.uk).The number of applications for firearms licence certificates can be found in data table 1.Data for the year ending 31 March 2025 will be released between June and July 2025: Statistics on firearm and shotgun certificates, England and Wales: April 2024 to March 2025 - Accredited official statistics announcement - GOV.UK.
How many deaths in police custody there have been in the last five years.
Data on deaths in police custody for England and Wales is produced by the Independent Office for Police Complaints in its annual report: Annual deaths during or following police contact report - 2023/24 | Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC)There have been 95 deaths in police custody in England and Wales for the period 2019 – 2024 as follows;Year19/2020/2121/2222/2323/24Deaths1819112324
What assessment she has made of the potential impact of recent trends in the level of police funding on the prevalence of police activity in local communities.
As set out at the final police funding settlement on 30 January, overall funding for policing will total up to £19.6 billion in 2025-26, an increase of up to £1.1 billion when compared to the 2024-25 settlement.Total funding to police forces will be up to £17.5 billion, an increase of up to £1.1 billion compared to the 2024/25 police funding settlement. This equates to a 6.6% cash increase, and 4.1% real terms increase in funding.
Whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on steps to help tackle knife crime in the devolved nations.
Halving knife crime is a top priority for this Government, and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission.Policing and justice in Northern Ireland, apart from national security, is a devolved matter but the Home Office works with a wide range of partners to share best practice and knowledge.I will work with my Northern Ireland Ministerial colleagues on this important Government priority.
What discussions she has had with her international counterparts on tackling human trafficking.
Responsibility for modern slavery and human trafficking sits within the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls' portfolio in the Home Office.Modern slavery is a global crime and the Government is committed to working with international partners to tackle it.In September 2024, the Minister met the (now former) US Ambassador to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons to discuss the Government's modern slavery and humans trafficking priorities. The Minister has also met senior representatives from the Council of Europe's Group of Experts on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings during their evaluation visit in December 2024.The UK has close relationships with Governments from other countries, including Albania, Vietnam and Romania, to address shared priorities on modern slavery. Partnerships with these countries are maintained through regular senior official engagement and deliver initiatives to prevent modern slavery, improve law enforcement cooperation and support effective reintegration of victims so they can rebuild their lives.
How many people have been arrested for using forged passports at airports in the last 12 months.
The Home Office publishes statistics on detected irregular air arrivals to the UK in the ‘Irregular migration to the UK’ statistics release, available at:Immigration system statistics quarterly release - GOV.UKWe do not hold central data on the number of people arrested for using forged passports at airports, and the figures could only be obtained for the purposes of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
What assessment she has made of the adequacy of sexual harassment laws.
Everyone has the right to both feel safe and be safe going about their day-to-day lives. That is why tackling sexual harassment is an important part of this Government’s mission to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) in a decade.There is a range of legislation that addresses sexual harassment. This includes offences in the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, Public Order Act 1986 and more recently, the Protection from Sex-Based Harassment Act 2023, which we are progressing for implementation.We are strengthening protections against workplace sexual harassment through the Employment Rights Bill. It will require employers to take “all reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment of their employees and introduce an obligation on employers not to permit the harassment of their employees by third parties.As with all legislation, the Government will continue to keep sexual harassment legislation under review.