Written questions by Hollinrake.

What is the immigration status of Q Manivannan MSP, and what type of visa does Q Manivannan currently hold.

Awaiting answer.

Whether the National Crime Agency has received any Suspicious Activity Reports relating to (a) cryptocurrency donations to UK politicians or (b) donations to UK politicians from individuals with cryptocurrency assets.

Awaiting answer.

What is the policy of the Home Office on (a) awarding and (b) extending visas to foreign citizens who have been elected in the United Kingdom as an elected representative to a local authority or devolved legislature, but who otherwise do not have a basis for remaining in the United Kingdom.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment she has made of trends in the level of immigration from people who do not have visa-free access to the UK in their home country but use golden visa arrangements to enter through a third-party country which does have visa-free agreements with the UK.

Awaiting answer.

With reference to her Department's statement entitled Latest statement in response to small boat crossings, published on 6 February 2026, what is the (a) source material and (b) evidential basis for the illegal migrants statistic; what period of time does the statistics cover; and whether it is a statistics produced by the (a) UK Government and (b) French Government.

Awaiting answer.

What representations the Home Office has received from Global Counsel in relation to online language testing firm Duolingo since July 2024.

Awaiting answer.

What estimate her Department has made of the number of proposed projects involving the use of dogs that are not progressed to licence application stage following review by Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Bodies due to the availability of non-animal alternative methods.

The Home Office has not made an estimate of the number of proposed projects involving dogs that do not proceed to licence application stage following review by Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Bodies (AWERBs) due to the availability of non-animal alternative methods.Project licence applicants are, in law, responsible for robustly considering the principles of replacement, reduction and refinement (the 3Rs) when developing proposals before submission to the establishment AWERB. AWERBs operate within establishments and are a further internal check on advising the establishment licence holder and other duty holders on the application of the principles of the 3Rs before any project licence application is submitted to the Home Office.

How many project licence applications involving the use of dogs under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 were (a) withdrawn and (b) amended following feedback relating to the availability of non-animal alternative methods in each of the last five years.

The Home Office does not centrally record the number of applications withdrawn, nor amendments to project licence applications by reference to specific issues raised during or after assessment, including the availability of non‑animal alternative methods. The Regulator advises that withdrawn applications are very rare, while amendments to applications form a routine part of the assessment process.All applications are subject to multiple stages of review prior to submission to the Home Office, including the delivery of legal responsibilities of the applicant to the principles of replacement, scrutiny by an establishment’s Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body and sign off by the establishment licence holder. This means that proposals where non-animal alternatives are available will not be progressed for application.Applications may be amended and it is common for there to be at least one iteration of the original application before it can be granted. This would be based on discussions between the Regulator and the applicant and could be about any aspect of the licence. It is also common for amendments to be made to licences after they are granted.In 2024, 472 licences were granted and 905 amendments made (post grant). Data for 2025 will be published in the Animals in Science Regulation Unit’s annual report.

Pursuant to the answer of 1 April 2026 to Question 120397 on Police: Elections, whether her Department collates and holds such contact details for each police force.

The Home Office remains firmly committed to protecting elected representatives and those standing for election.The Home Office does not routinely collate or hold contact details for individual police forces. MPs can access the contact details for their relevant Operation Bridger coordinator via ParliNet.In an emergency, elected representatives or candidates are advised to call 999 and reference Operation Bridger for MPs, or Operation Ford for locally elected representatives or those standing for local election.For non‑emergency incidents, reports should be made to the police via 101 or through the online reporting system, again referencing Operation Bridger or Operation Ford as appropriate. This ensures that the relevant Bridger coordinators and/or Ford officers are able to follow up on reported incidents.

Pursuant to the statement of 12 March 2026, Official Report, on Defending Democracy Taskforce, if he will make it his policy to ensure political parties are provided via the Parliamentary Parties Panel with the contact details of the relevant local police force contacts, for the dedicated superintendent co-ordinator for Operation Bridger, in each Police Force area with May 2026 elections.

The Home Office remains firmly committed to protecting elected representatives and those standing for election.If a candidate is in immediate danger, they should call 999 and reference Operation Bridger for Members of Parliament or Operation Ford for locally elected representatives.For non‑emergency incidents, reports should be made via 101 or online, again referencing Operation Bridger or Operation Ford as appropriate. This will ensure that Bridger Leads and/or the Force Elected Official Advisors are notified of any incidents affecting candidates standing in the May 2026 elections.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 October 2025 to Question 82334 on Home Office: Facilities Agreements, whether there has been a change to facility time arrangements in her Department since July 2024; and if she will make an assessment of the reasons for the change in the (a) cost and (b) number of facility time staff.

There have not been any changes to facility time arrangements in the Home Office since July 2024.There will always be fluctuations from one year to another in terms of the number of employees elected as trade union reps and the amount of facility time they use to undertake their duties.These fluctuations will be driven by a range of factors, such as vacancies on trade union committees being filled, the number of consultation exercises the employer needs to engage the unions on and the level of personal casework (e.g. grievances and disciplinaries) where trade union representatives may be supporting individual employees.

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2026 to Question 101773 on Political Parties: Conferences, if she will set out the timetable for the (a) internal review and (b) consultation of relevant stakeholders.

The Home Office has now completed the initial scoping phase of the internal review and will shortly be reaching out to relevant stakeholders, including political parties, to arrange meetings in April to gather their views.An internal report is expected to be completed by the end of May.

Pursuant to the answer of 13 January 2026 to Question 102814 on Public Spaces: Political Activities, if she will make it his policy to investigate the use of a Public Spaces Protection Order by Leicester City Council to ban party political street stalls in the city centre.

The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police, local authorities, and other local agencies with a range of flexible tools and powers that they can use to respond quickly and effectively to anti-social behaviour. This includes Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) which can be issued by councils to stop people committing anti-social behaviour in a public space.The powers in the 2014 Act are deliberately flexible in nature, and it is for local agencies to determine whether their use is appropriate in the specific circumstances of each individual case.

What process the Regulator follows when determining that no scientifically satisfactory non-animal alternative exists for a proposed project involving dogs; and whether independent scientific advice forms part of that determination.

The Home Office regulates the use of animals in science under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). Under ASPA, applicants must demonstrate that they have fully applied the principles of Replacement, Reduction and Refinement (the 3Rs), including showing that no scientifically satisfactory non‑animal alternative exists for the proposed work. Before submission to the Regulator for consideration, all project licence applications must be signed off by the Establishment’s Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body, that will make an assessment of the application of the 3Rs, and also the Establishment Licence Holder, whom has a legal obligation to the application of the 3Rs.In assessing project licence applications, Home Office Inspectors rigorously examine whether the applicant has carried out an appropriate and comprehensive search for non‑animal alternatives and has provided evidence that any available alternatives have been considered. Inspectors are specifically trained to evaluate 3Rs implementation and the scientific justification provided in applications, supported by specialist training delivered by the National Centre for Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs).Where necessary, Inspectors may seek additional assurance, including referring proposals for independent expert advice, or to the independent non-departmental expert advisory body - the Animals in Science Committee. This ensures that decisions are robust, evidence‑based and consistent with the requirements of ASPA.

How many project licence applications involving the use of dogs under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 have been refused in each of the last five years on the grounds that a scientifically satisfactory non-animal alternative method was available.

The Home Office regulates the use of animals in science under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). All project licence applications must comply with the principles of Replacement, Reduction and Refinement (the 3Rs), ensuring that animals may only be used when no validated non-animal alternative exists, the number of animals is minimised, and any potential harms are minimised.In the last five years, the Home Office has not refused any licences involving dogs on the grounds that a scientifically satisfactory non-animal alternative method was available. The number of formal refusals is not, however, a meaningful indicator of either application of non-animal alternatives or regulatory rigour.This is because all applications go through multiple review stages before reaching the Regulator, and guidance is available to assist applicants in preparing submissions that meet all legal requirements. All establishments licensed to use animals must have an Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body (AWERB), which reviews proposals before they are submitted to the Regulator.Therefore, in general, applications where alternatives are available will not be progressed or will be failed at this stage by the establishment. Applications received by the Regulator are subject to detailed scrutiny, including requests for clarification or amendment where required. Applicants may revise or withdraw an application in response to feedback. Only applications that fully meet the requirements of the legislation proceed to licensing.

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2025 to Question 79231 on Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, what her planned timetable is for determining whether to include China in the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme; and what factors have determined that timetable.

As set out in the National Security Act 2023, the Secretary of State may make a specification under the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS) where they consider it is reasonably necessary to do so to protect the safety or interests of the United Kingdom.We look very carefully at which countries should be on the enhanced tier of the scheme, factoring in a broad range of considerations.As I set out in the House of Commons on 20 January 2026, any changes to the countries listed will be brought to Parliament in the usual way.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of aligning shotgun and firearm licensing systems on (a) public safety and (b) police licensing resource capacity.

The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February 2025, included a commitment to having a public consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns to bring them more into line with the controls on other firearms in the interests of public safety. We intend to publish this consultation shortly.We will carefully consider all of the views put forward during the consultation once it is completed, before deciding whether and what changes are necessary in the interests of public safety. We will also provide an impact assessment in relation to any changes that we intend to bring forward after the consultation including, as appropriate, impact on the police, the rural economy, sports, wildlife management and crop protection, in the normal way.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of aligning shotgun and firearm licensing systems on (a) the rural economy, (b) legitimate sporting shooting and (c) essential wildlife management and crop protection.

The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February 2025, included a commitment to having a public consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns to bring them more into line with the controls on other firearms in the interests of public safety. We intend to publish this consultation shortly.We will carefully consider all of the views put forward during the consultation once it is completed, before deciding whether and what changes are necessary in the interests of public safety. We will also provide an impact assessment in relation to any changes that we intend to bring forward after the consultation including, as appropriate, impact on the police, the rural economy, sports, wildlife management and crop protection, in the normal way.

If she will make it her policy to allow a reduction in the Indefinite Leave to Remain qualifying period for Meat Hygiene Inspectors who are qualified veterinary surgeons from overseas but unable to register as Official Veterinarians due to Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons accreditation requirements.

The earned settlement model, proposed in A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, will raise the standard qualifying period for settlement from five years to ten years.We are proposing a series of tests that will measure a person’s contribution to this country and either reduce or increase the amount of time to settlement. This will include work undertaken by the individual. This earned settlement model and the tests which measure contribution are currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026.The consultation also seeks views on whether there should be transitional arrangements for those already on a pathway to settlement.Details of the earned settlement scheme, including any transitional arrangements for those already in the UK, will be finalised following that consultation.

What estimate her Department has made of the potential impact of visa renewal costs and salary thresholds for migrant Meat Hygiene Inspectors under the proposed earned settlement model on food price inflation.

The earned settlement model, proposed in A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, will raise the standard qualifying period for settlement from five years to ten years.We are proposing a series of tests that will measure a person’s contribution to this country and either reduce or increase the amount of time to settlement. This will include work undertaken by the individual. This earned settlement model and the tests which measure contribution are currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026.The consultation also seeks views on whether there should be transitional arrangements for those already on a pathway to settlement.Details of the earned settlement scheme, including any transitional arrangements for those already in the UK, will be finalised following that consultation.