Written questions by Hollinrake.

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 February 2025, to Question 29607, on Offences against Children: Reviews, what remuneration is being given to Baroness Case of Blackstock for leading the review; and whether this remuneration is in addition to her remuneration as the Government’s lead Non-Executive Director.

On 16 January 2025, the Home Secretary announced a funding package to deliver stronger national support for locally-led work on tackling group-based child sexual exploitation. This includes supporting Oldham Council who have confirmed work to undertake a local inquiry that has already begun. We are in the process of consulting with local authorities and relevant stakeholders on the design and delivery of this package and will update the House in due course.Baroness Casey is leading the National Audit in her role as the Government's lead Non-Executive Director. She is therefore not receiving additional remuneration for the Audit.

With reference to the Written Statement of 27 February 2025 on Consultation Results: Alcohol in licensed pavement areas, HCWS477, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the expiry of easement measures on pubs.

As explained in the written statement of 27 February 2025, those businesses with an on-sales only licence that have taken advantage of the Covid era easement and wish to continue off-sales after 31 March will need to obtain a licensing variation. According to recent statistics published on GOV.UK, as of October 2024, 2490 premises were taking advantage of the easement. To minimise the impact on businesses, the Government has amended statutory licensing guidance to make it easier and cheaper for businesses to apply for this variation. This guidance advises licensing authorities to initially treat applications for such amendments as a minor variation to the licence. This will minimise any transitional cost and bureaucracy for those affected by making the process quicker and much cheaper – costing £89 - than major licence variations.As we made clear in the Written Statement, the Government will monitor the decisions made around the country by local authorities on these requests for licence variations, in liaison with the beer and pub industries, and will assess any evidence that pubs where the current easements have been working successfully are being denied the opportunity to continue making off-sales beyond April 2025 without reasonable cause. In those circumstances, and notwithstanding the results of last year’s consultation exercise, we will consider what further steps may need to be taken through the licensing regime to support our local pubs.

Pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2025 to Question 28151 on Offences against Children: Inquiries, how the £5 million will be allocated to local authorities; and whether local authorities must bid for such funding.

On 16 January 2025, the Home Secretary announced a funding package to deliver stronger national support for locally-led work on tackling group-based child sexual exploitation. This includes supporting Oldham Council who have confirmed work to undertake a local inquiry that has already begun. We are in the process of consulting with local authorities and relevant stakeholders on the design and delivery of this package and will update the House in due course.Baroness Casey is leading the National Audit in her role as the Government's lead Non-Executive Director. She is therefore not receiving additional remuneration for the Audit.

Pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2025, to Question 29605, on Asylum: Housing, what is the Resource DEL budget for Asylum Support, Resettlement and Accommodation in financial year 2024-25.

I refer the Honourable Member to the Answer he received on 11 February 2025 to UIN 29605.

Pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2025, to Question 29613, on Asylum: Contracts, whether her Department holds contracts with non-strategic suppliers for the provision of asylum accommodation and support services; and which organisation provides asylum accommodation and support services outside the (a) North West, (b) Midlands and (c) East of England.

The Home Office holds five contracts with non-strategic suppliers for the provision of Asylum Accommodation and Support Services, outside of the North West, Midlands and East of England. These services are provided by Mears and CRH.Details of these agreements are published on Contract Finder at:NEYHAASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NEYH - Contracts Finder ScotlandAASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Scotland - Contracts Finder NIAASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NI - Contracts Finder WalesAASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Wales - Contracts Finder SouthAASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract South - Contracts Finder

What estimate she has made of the number of asylum seekers accommodated in (a) hotels, (b) houses and (c) flats.

Available data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation is published quarterly on GOV.UK under the immigration statistics data tables.

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 February 2025 to Question MHCLG: 23916 on MHCLG: Legal Costs, whether it is her Department's policy that (a) organisations may be classified as extremist but will not be publicly named as such, (b) organisations will not be classified as extremist, (c) Ministers may name organisations as extremist when covered by Parliamentary privilege.

It has been a long standing rule under successive governments that the Home Office does not comment on specific groups or individual cases.The government’s focus is to reduce and disrupt the influence of high-harm groups and individuals and the spread of extremist ideologies that can lead to community division and to radicalisation into terrorism. Where there is evidence of purposeful actions that are potentially radicalising others into terrorism or violence, proportionate legislative action will be considered.

How her Department plans to share services between the (a) fire and rescue and (b) police services; and if she will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of establishing Police and Fire Service Commissioners.

The Policing and Crime Act 2017 requires ambulance trusts, fire and rescue bodies and police bodies in England to consider collaboration opportunities.These include, where appropriate, sharing estates and assets where it is considered that it would result in improved efficiency or effectiveness for one or more partner.Police and Crime Commissioners in several areas have also taken responsibility for governance of local fire and rescue services, and the Government is bringing forward legislation to establish more mayoral authorities which could be responsible for both police and fire and rescue.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the report entitled Independent Challenge and Support Panel: Closing Report, published by the National Fire Chiefs Council on 19 February 2025.

I met with Anthea Sully, the Chair of the National Fire Chief’s Council’s (NFCC) Independent Challenge and Support Panel, prior to the report’s publication to discuss the panel’s work and its findings.I welcomed the work of the panel, and its importance given my previous involvement with this work as the Chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee and now in my ministerial role.The Government is committed to working with the fire and rescue sector to drive meaningful culture change.Both the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and several independent reviews of culture in specific fire and rescue services have concluded that poor culture can lead to operational incompetence and therefore present a risk to public safety.Following the publication of this report, the Government will work where appropriate to support the sector in the delivery and implementation of the 7 calls to action set out in the report to stop racism, misogyny, and other forms of criminal and unacceptable behaviour in the workplace.

Whether her Department has had communications with the company Lowick on the proposed new Chinese Embassy.

A final decision on China’s planning application for a new embassy has yet to be made. The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities, and Local Government in her independent, quasi-judicial role will make the final decision in due course.As such, it would not be appropriate to comment further on the case. The Home Secretary and I have and continue to respect the bounds of this robust quasi-judicial process.

Whether her Department has a list of organisations or groups that it does not engage with.

There are many organisations that the Home Office does not engage with, but there is no central list of the kind that the Hon Member describes.

Pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2025, to Question 28146 on Asylum: Local Government, what the estimated aggregate budget is for (a) Grant 6 and (b) Grant 7 funding to local authorities in (i) England and (ii) the United Kingdom in the 2024-25 financial year.

I refer the Honourable Member to the Answer he received on 10 February 2025 to UIN 28146.

What the total cost to the public purse is of providing accommodation to asylum seekers and refugees in (a) England and (b) the Untried Kingdom; and if she will list each contractor which is funded to provide such services.

The Home Office publishes information on asylum expenditure in the Home Office annual report and accounts: 2023 to 2024 - GOV.UK.

If she will make an estimate of the potential cost to the public purse of implementing the decision of the Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) of 28 January 2025 with reference: UI-2024-005295 & Ors.

It is longstanding government policy that we do not routinely comment on individual cases.

How much funding has been allocated to the (a) Protective Security for Mosques Scheme, (b) Jewish Community Protective Security Grant and (c) the Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme in 2025.

In 2025/26, up to £50.9 million is available to protect faith communities. This includes £18 million through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant, £29.4 million through the Protective Security for Mosques scheme and for security at Muslim faith schools, and £3.5 million for the places of worship and associated faith community centres of all other faiths.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of permitting pubs to continue to sell take-away pints without requiring a variation of their premises licence.

The previous Government explored the feasibility of creating a unified consent regime that would grant businesses a pavement licence and the ability to sell alcohol for consumption there. Unifying the two regimes did not prove workable; the then Government launched a consultation on alternative options in May 2024.This Government is carefully considering the results of the consultation and will publish the results imminently alongside next steps.The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is responsible for pavement licences. We support the use of pavement licences to encourage better use of outdoor space on our high streets, supporting businesses and revitalising spaces communities use. We have no plans to change the existing streamlined application process.

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2025 to Question 23524 on Licensing Laws, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that (a) new and existing pavement licences continue to allow for Licensing Act 2003 consent to be included and (b) licensed premises do not need to amend or vary their premises licence to have a pavement licence with alcohol.

The previous Government explored the feasibility of creating a unified consent regime that would grant businesses a pavement licence and the ability to sell alcohol for consumption there. Unifying the two regimes did not prove workable; the then Government launched a consultation on alternative options in May 2024.This Government is carefully considering the results of the consultation and will publish the results imminently alongside next steps.The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is responsible for pavement licences. We support the use of pavement licences to encourage better use of outdoor space on our high streets, supporting businesses and revitalising spaces communities use. We have no plans to change the existing streamlined application process.

What funding is being made available to local authorities across government to support councils with the cost of (a) asylum seekers and (b) their children in 2024-25.

The Home Office has had various grants through which we provide funds to support local authorities housing asylum seekers.• Grant 7 was launched in April 2024 to facilitate local authority support of increased dispersal accommodation (DA) accommodation. The £3500 payment will be made for the net growth of occupancy in each quarter for Home Office Supported Asylum Seeker accommodation within the geographical bounds of the local authority under the following categories; DA, overflow dispersal accommodation (ODA) and initial accommodation (IA).• Grant 6 was launched in April 2024 to acknowledge the contribution of Local Authorities to supporting asylum seekers. A payment of £750 was made for each occupied bedspaces as of 01 April 2024 and a subsequent payment will be made for the net growth of occupancy in each quarter for Home Office Supported Asylum Seeker accommodation within the geographical bounds of the local authority under the following categories; DA, ODA and IA and contingency accommodation (CA).All local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales who support asylum seekers are eligible for payment. Similar arrangements are in place for Northern Ireland.

Pursuant to the Answer of 8 January 2025, to Question 21677 on Offences against Children, what funding is being made available to support council-led local inquiries.

In January, the Home Secretary announced to Parliament a raft of measures and an investment of £10 million that will allow us to protect more victims and survivors and drive change at a local level.This includes appointing Baroness Louise Casey to oversee an audit to improve our understanding of the scale, nature and drivers of group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse at a national and local level, and to make recommendations on what additional action is needed to improve our response.We will provide stronger support for local areas which are interested in undertaking work to better understand local grooming gang issues and improve their own local responses going forward. £5 million has been made available to support this work.

Whether she has made changes to the level of funding to local authorities for asylum seekers since July 2024.

The Home Office has a statutory obligation to support asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute.In recent years, the Home Office has had various grants through which we provide funds to support local authorities, with responsibilities for housing asylum seekers.Grant 7 was launched in April 2024 to facilitate local authority support of increased dispersal accommodation (DA) accommodation. A £3500 payment was allocated for the net growth of occupancy in each quarter for Home Office Supported Asylum Seeker accommodation within the geographical bounds of the local authority under the following categories; DA, overflow dispersal accommodation (ODA) and initial accommodation (IA).Grant 6 was launched in April 2024 to acknowledge the contribution of Local Authorities to supporting asylum seekers. A payment of £750 was made for each occupied bedspace as of 01 April 2024 and a subsequent payment was allocated for the net growth of occupancy in each quarter for Home Office Supported Asylum Seeker accommodation within the geographical bounds of the local authority under the following categories; DA, ODA and IA and contingency accommodation (CA).All local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales who support asylum seekers are eligible for payment. Similar arrangements are in place for Northern Ireland.