Written questions by Smith.

If she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of reports of variations in police force implementation of the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s Abnormal Load Guidance and National Policing Guidelines on Charging for Police Services: Special Police Services; and what steps are being taken to ensure consistency of practice.

Police Chiefs are responsible for decisions on escorting abnormal loads and for how guidance relating to movements and charging should be implemented in their areas. Local variation in the management of abnormal loads may be necessary to account for factors such as geography and road infrastructure.NPCC guidance for forces and the charging framework for on managing abnormal loads were updated in March and May 2025 respectively. These seek to promote greater national alignment across forces, where possible, noting the need for variations. The NPCC has committed to review this guidance twelve months after publication to ensure it remains fit for purpose.

If she will take steps to investigate the use of English-as-a-Foreign-Language Courses as a route for individuals trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein to obtain UK visas.

This is a live police investigation, so we are unable to comment. The Government stands ready to support the police in whatever way it can.

How many UK visas were granted to Jeffrey Epstein following his conviction on 30 June 2008.

We do not routinely comment on individual cases. The Government stands ready to support the police in whatever way it can.

If she will have discussions with the Metropolitan Police, Essex Police, and the British Transport Police on the use of Stansted Airport by Jeffrey Epstein and his associates, and flights commissioned by Jeffrey Epstein.

Border Force conducts robust security checks on those arriving into the UK, including 100% checks on all notified general aviation flights to reinforce security. Border Force allocates resources based on assessed risk, applying intelligence and targeting techniques. Border Force has implemented a range of initiatives to address vulnerabilities. : https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/general-aviation-operators-and-pilots-notification-of-flightsThese include: • Substantially reducing the number of aerodromes permitted to handle flights to and from the UK.• Introducing a civil penalties regime for non-compliance with airfield designation requirements.• Person details checked on all notified GA flights.The police is operationally independent of government and these are matters for the police. The Government will provide to the police any assistance they require.

Pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2025 to Question 99775, what her planned timetable is for improvements to security, flow and passenger experience for UK-bound passengers at Paris Gare du Nord.

In the Immigration White Paper, the Government set out our ambition to use new technologies to increase the use of automation at the UK border, including at Paris Gare du Nord, and deliver visible changes to security, passenger flow and the customer experience.We intend to set out further details on contactless travel and our plans to transform the UK border later this year.

Pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2025 to Question 99775, what the results were of the Contactless Travel pilot conducted in October.

In the Immigration White Paper, the Government set out our ambition to use new technologies to increase the use of automation at the UK border, including at Paris Gare du Nord, and deliver visible changes to security, passenger flow and the customer experience.We intend to set out further details on contactless travel and our plans to transform the UK border later this year.

What steps she is taking to reduce knife crime in rural areas.

We are already making clear progress against our ambition to halve knife crime. In our first year, police-recorded knife crime offences fell by 5%, the first reduction in four years.Knife homicides have also fallen by almost 20% over the last year, and we have seen a 10% reduction in hospital admissions for stabbings.Whilst most knife crime occurs in urban centres, our national target to halve knife crime and whole society approach will reach every area. Our approach to tackling knife crime is centred around targeted interventions and enforcement, tough new legislation to remove dangerous weapons from our streets and working across government to tackle the root causes of knife crime where they are needed most.We have banned zombie knives and ninja swords and are holding online sellers criminally responsible removing almost 60,000 knives from streets in England and Wales. We are taking a range of action in the Crime and Policing Bill to strengthen legislation on knives.New crime mapping tools are already allowing us to identify highly specific knife crime hotspots and focus police and community safety resources where they are needed most. Further investment in cutting-edge capabilities, such as knife detection technology, improved data platforms, and live facial recognition will further enhance our ability to target knife crime.Our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee will deliver 13,000 additional neighbourhood policing personnel by the end of this Parliament, including up to 3,000 by March 2026. It will also ensure that every community, including rural communities, has named and contactable officers they can turn to.This Government is clear that when you report a crime, it should be properly investigated with victims having faith that justice will be delivered, and criminals will be punished – no matter where you live. Rural communities can be assured that visible, neighbourhood policing is returning to our communities.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of considering the charge of stalking together with that of stalking with intent to ensure that cases can be brought within the six-month time limit.

Tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a top priority for this Government and the VAWG Strategy published on 18 December sets out clear action to tackle stalking as a part of this.We have appointed Richard Wright KC to lead a review of the stalking legislation. The review will consider whether the criminal law on stalking needs to change to ensure the police and wider criminal justice partners have the clearest possible framework for effective identification, management and prosecution of stalking cases. The scope of the review includes the stalking offences in the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 and, due to their intertwined nature, the harassment offences in the same Act. As part of this, the review will also consider the classification of stalking offences as either-way or summary-only and this includes consideration of the statutory time limits involved. The review will recommend options for reform where appropriate.The full review, including any recommendations, must be submitted to the Secretary of State by the end of March 2026.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending the six-month limit for bringing charges on stalking.

Tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a top priority for this Government and the VAWG Strategy published on 18 December sets out clear action to tackle stalking as a part of this.We have appointed Richard Wright KC to lead a review of the stalking legislation. The review will consider whether the criminal law on stalking needs to change to ensure the police and wider criminal justice partners have the clearest possible framework for effective identification, management and prosecution of stalking cases. The scope of the review includes the stalking offences in the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 and, due to their intertwined nature, the harassment offences in the same Act. As part of this, the review will also consider the classification of stalking offences as either-way or summary-only and this includes consideration of the statutory time limits involved. The review will recommend options for reform where appropriate.The full review, including any recommendations, must be submitted to the Secretary of State by the end of March 2026.

Whether she has had discussions with (a) UK Border Force, and (b) her counterparts in the French Government on reducing the waiting times for UK-bound passengers at passport control at Paris Gare du Nord.

Border Force work closely with partners to minimise passenger wait times and deploy officers flexibly and when required to meet demand and support passengers.We have introduced ePassport Gates to Paris Gare Du Nord station in two waves, the last being timed to ensure that we had maximum gate coverage within the allotted space provided to us by SNCF prior to the Paris Olympics.Since eGate deployment, we have lowered the age of people able to use eGates and the number of nationalities that are also able to use them. We have also installed new front desk technology that is quicker and more robust than its predecessor.We are also prioritising the deployment of new eGates to Paris and other parts of the rail network when they become available which will help streamline increased passenger fluidity during peak times.Border Force enjoys a strong operational relationship with Eurostar which has allowed us to successfully plan and deploy our resources at peak times – evidenced by the successful recent operational deliveries of the Paris Olympics in the summer of 2024, and both the Easter bank holiday and summer holiday periods in 2025 that were equally as challenging from a passenger flow perspective.

Pursuant to the Answer of 30 April to Question 46921, what recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of changes to e-gates on improving the speed of passenger flow.

eGates provide a safe, secure and efficient method of crossing the UK border for millions of passengers each year. All technology deployed at the border is rigorously tested to ensure it is resilient and effective.We are moving into the next phase of our vision to use technology to make visible changes to security, flow and the passenger experience. In October this year we conducted a short Contactless Travel pilot which aims to increase passenger flow whilst maintain security. We will provide further details in due course.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of implementing the 20 recommendations from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.

In April, the Government published the Tackling Child Sexual Abuse Progress Update setting out the action we are taking on the IICSA recommendations, and we are delivering on those commitments.For example, we have this month published a consultation on proposals for a new Child Protection Authority, to improve national oversight and consistency of child protection practice, and we have introduced stronger vetting checks for adults working with children. We have also announced up to £50 million funding to expand the Child House model of support for children who have experienced sexual abuse. This a significant step in delivering against IICSA’s recommendation on improving the provision of specialised therapeutic support for child victims of sexual abuse.Several measures in the Crime and Policing Bill will also directly address IICSA’s recommendations, including a new mandatory duty to report sexual abuse for individuals in England undertaking activity with children and the removal of the three-year limitation period for victims and survivors to bring child sexual abuse claims in the civil court.

What her planned timetable is for the implementation of the recommendations from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.

In April, the Government published the Tackling Child Sexual Abuse Progress Update setting out the action we are taking on the IICSA recommendations, and we are delivering on those commitments.For example, we have this month published a consultation on proposals for a new Child Protection Authority, to improve national oversight and consistency of child protection practice, and we have introduced stronger vetting checks for adults working with children. We have also announced up to £50 million funding to expand the Child House model of support for children who have experienced sexual abuse. This a significant step in delivering against IICSA’s recommendation on improving the provision of specialised therapeutic support for child victims of sexual abuse.Several measures in the Crime and Policing Bill will also directly address IICSA’s recommendations, including a new mandatory duty to report sexual abuse for individuals in England undertaking activity with children and the removal of the three-year limitation period for victims and survivors to bring child sexual abuse claims in the civil court.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of placing a ban on a) machetes and b) large hunting knives.

Knife crime has a devasting impact on families and communities across the country, and the Government is aiming to halve knife crime in the next decade. We keep the law in this area under constant review, and this includes the continuing availability of machetes and large hunting knives.The Government has already taken action to ban zombie style knives and zombie style machetes in September 2024, and more recently, we took action to ban ninja swords in August 2025. We are continuing to take measures to strengthen the law on knives.In the Crime and Policing Bill 2025, currently going through Parliament, we are increasing the penalties for illegal sales of knives, creating a new offence of possessing a knife with the intention to commit unlawful violence, a duty on sellers to report bulk or suspicious sales, strengthened age checks on online sales and delivery, and we are giving the police a new power to seize knives likely to be used in unlawful violence. On 16 December, the Government also published a public consultation paper on proposals to introduce licensing schemes for those who sell or import knives or other bladed articles and this builds on the earlier recommendations in the Independent End to End Review of Online Knife Sales published in February 2025.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of phasing out the general sale of sharp-tipped culinary knives.

We recognise that the issue of knife crime and the harm caused by any knife has a very real impact on individuals, families and communities and we aim to halve knife crime in the next decade. The Government keeps the law in this area under constant review, but we do not have any plans to phase out the sale of sharp-tipped culinary knives.

What steps she is taking to reduce knife crime.

Tackling knife crime is a priority for Government. Since this Government has been in office, knife homicides have fallen by almost 20% while knife crime overall has fallen for the first time in 4 years, dropping by 5% in our first year from 54,215 to 51,527. Stabbings have fallen by 10% (as measured by hospital admissions for assault with a sharp object – NHS data).60,000 knives have also been removed from the streets of England and Wales under this Government, through weapons surrender schemes, knives seized by Border Force and those recovered through County Lines Programme operations.Our approach to tackling knife-crime is centred around smart, targeted interventions and enforcement, and a tough legislative landscape to remove dangerous weapons from our streets. Whilst also working across government to tackle the root causes of knife-crime, including through Violence Reduction Units and the new Young Futures Programme supporting those most at risk.We have introduced tougher knife control measures by banning zombie-style knives and machetes in September 2024 and ninja swords in August 2025. Ronan's Law tightens online knife sales with stricter age checks and penalties and we are introducing new powers to strengthen policing’s ability to seize, retain and destroy dangerous knives.These efforts are supported by smarter policing – including data led hotspot patrols, knife arches, facial recognition – and strong partnerships with charities and communities.We are also introducing new, innovative tools to fight knife crime, identifying crime hotspots by breaking towns and cities into small hexagonal zones where hyper-local issues can be spotted. It will allow the police to partner with local communities, advocacy groups, local authorities and youth outreach teams to spot a problem and take action together to stop it.

What recent discussions she has had with her counterparts in the police on reducing knife crime.

Home Office Ministers meet regularly with Chief Constables and other senior policing leaders to discuss knife crime. For example, the Home Secretary discussed knife crime at the National Policing Board in July 2025 and the Policing Minister chaired the Knife-Enabled Robbery Group in November 2025.

What steps she is taking to reduce the time taken for passengers travelling to the UK to go through UK passport control at Gard du Nord Station.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 30 April to Question 46921.

How many people are currently in custody who have exhausted all rights of appeal and have signed deportation orders but have not yet been deported; and what steps her Department is taking to expedite their removal from the United Kingdom.

The number of individuals who simultaneously fall into all these categories cannot be readily obtained from available data, and such a snapshot exercise could only be conducted for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.