Written questions by Anderson.

How many people who have had their asylum application rejected are still living in the UK.

The Home Office publishes data on asylum-related returns in Ret_04 and Ret_05 of the ‘Returns summary tables’. The latest data is up to March 2025.

Where she plans to relocate irregular migrants living in hotels to end the use of asylum hotels by 2029.

The Home Office continues to work with a range of stakeholders and consider a range of options to fulfil its statutory obligations, and deliver our commitment to reduce the overall cost of asylum accommodation, including ending the use of hotels by the end of this Parliament.

If she will increase the use of stop and search to tackle knife crime.

Stop and search remains a fundamental tool for tackling knife crime, exercised fairly and effectively. Police officers have the power to stop and search individuals or vehicles for offensive weapons, provided they have reasonable grounds to suspect they will find the item.In addition, where serious violence has occurred, or where intelligence suggests it may occur, a senior police officer may authorise police to stop and search any individual or vehicle for weapons, with or without reasonable suspicion. These authorisations are limited to a particular area for a specific period of time, usually no longer than 24 hours but may be extended to up to 48 hours in certain circumstances.The operational use of these powers is a matter for individual police forces, based on local intelligence and community needs. Police powers must always be exercised fairly and effectively.

What steps her Department is taking to reduce knife crime in Nottinghamshire.

Halving knife crime over the next decade is a key part of the Government’s Safer Streets Mission and we are determined to tackle the scourge of serious knife crime on our streets.To date, we have implemented a ban on zombie-style knives and zombie-style machetes and a ban on ninja swords will come into effect from 1 August 2025. We will also be running an extended surrender scheme in July to allow knives and offensive weapons to be handed in safely and securely. Limiting the availability and accessibility of knives and dangerous and illegal weapons is a central part of our work.To that end, we have also announced “Ronan’s Law”, following an independent review into online knife sales by Commander Stephen Clayman, the national policing lead on knife crime, which set out a range of measures including strengthening age verification and delivery checks and reporting bulk sales to the police. These changes are now included in the Crime and Policing Bill currently passing through Parliament.In the Crime and Policing Bill, we are also increasing the penalties for illegal sales of knives, creating a new offence of possessing a knife with the intention to commit unlawful violence and providing the police with a new power to seize knives when they believe they are likely to be used in connection with unlawful violence.In Nottinghamshire, the Government has allocated c.£1.5m for the Hotspot Action Fund in 2025-2026 to deliver high visibility patrolling and problem-oriented policing tactics in the areas with the highest densities of knife crime and Anti-Social Behaviour (‘hotspots’).Through our Young Futures Programme, the Government will introduce Prevention Partnerships across the country, including in Nottinghamshire, to intervene earlier and ensure that children and young people who are vulnerable to being drawn into crime are identified and offered support in a more systematic way.As we continue to design the Young Futures Programme, we want to ensure that it learns from and builds on the work of the Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) in this regard. In 2025/26 we are investing £47m via the Home Office in core grant funding to VRUs, including making over £1.1m available to the Nottinghamshire VRU this year.This funding will support the delivery of a range of early intervention and prevention programmes, such as youth workers in custody, school and community settings, sports programmes, mentoring, healthy relationships programmes, and intensive cognitive behavioural therapies for individuals involved in or at risk of serious violence, to divert young people away from crime.A further £14.3m in grant funding has been made available across all 43 local policing body areas to deliver the Serious Violence Duty with £139k available to Nottinghamshire.

Which areas in the UK are most prevalent for money laundering activity (a) Turkish barbers and (b) other organisations.

Regional Organised Crime Units and police forces across England and Wales have identified cash intensive business such as barbershops being exploited by criminals seeking to launder money. In March, the National Economic Crime Centre coordinated a three-week crackdown against barbershops and other cash intensive business involving 19 different police forces and Regional Organised Crime Units, as well as national agencies including HMRC, Trading Standards and Home Office Immigration Enforcement. In total, 380 premises were visited across the three-week operation, with officers securing freezing orders over bank accounts totalling more than £1m, executing 84 warrants and arrested 35 individuals. Officers also seized more than £40,000 in cash, 200,000 cigarettes, 7,000 packs of tobacco, over 8,000 illegal vapes and two vehicles.This is the first phase of targeted action against criminals and organised crime groups who use high-street businesses to launder criminal funds, and the NECC is committed to continue working with Policing and partners across the UK to reduce this threat.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of legalising recreational cannabis on (a) physical health, (b) mental health, (c) the NHS and (d) antisocial behaviour.

No.

What steps she is taking to help ensure that Jewish people in the UK are not (a) physically and (b) verbally attacked.

There is no excuse for violence or abuse driven by antisemitic hatred and discrimination, and we support the police in taking the strongest possible action against those crimes.In her speech to the annual dinner of the Community Security Trust on 26 March, the Home Secretary made clear the Government’s commitment to protect Jewish communities against antisemitic attacks and other security threats - https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/home-secretary-speech-at-the-community-security-trustThe Jewish Community Protective Security (JCPS) Grant provides protective security measures (such as security personnel services, CCTV and alarm systems) at synagogues, Jewish educational establishments and community sites. It is managed on behalf of the Home Office by the Community Security Trust.From 2024/25 to 2027/28, the Community Security Trust has been allocated £18 million annually through the JCPS Grant to continue this important work. We continue to work closely with the CST to ensure the safety and security of Jewish communities across the UK.

What steps she is taking to ensure the safety of staff at the Israeli embassy in London.

We take all appropriate steps to ensure the safety of diplomatic staff, however we do not comment on operational and security matters concerning individual locations and personnel.

What assessment has she made of the potential impact of money laundering by Turkish barber shops on (a) the community and (b) the wider economy.

Money laundering not only enables serious and organised crime and national security threats but impacts our communities by drawing people into crime, gangs, and exploitation. It also undermines the integrity of our financial system and impacts on economic prosperity and growth. Driving it down is an important part of this Government’s key missions to deliver safer streets and economic growth.We know that cash intensive businesses such as barber shops can be exploited by criminals who seek to launder their cash enabling them to profit from their illegal activities. Addressing cash-based money laundering is therefore one of the strategic priorities of the National Economic Crime Centre (NECC), which sits within the National Crime Agency. In March, the NECC coordinated a three-week crackdown against barbershops and other cash intensive business across England and Wales involving 19 different police forces and Regional Organised Crime Units, as well as national agencies including HMRC, Trading Standards and Home Office Immigration Enforcement. In total, 380 premises were visited across the three-week operation, with officers securing freezing orders over bank accounts totalling more than £1m, executing 84 warrants and arresting 35 individuals. Officers also seized more than £40,000 in cash, 200,000 cigarettes, 7,000 packs of tobacco, over 8,000 illegal vapes and two vehicles.This is the first phase of targeted action against criminals and organised crime groups who use high-street businesses to launder criminal monies, and the NECC is committed to continue working with Policing and partners to reduce this threat.

Whether she is taking steps to give the police increased powers to tackle antisocial behaviour.

Tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB) is a top priority for this Government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission.Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are strengthening the powers available to the police, local authorities and other relevant agencies to tackle ASB, including introducing new Respect Orders to tackle the most persistent ASB offenders.Unlike the existing Civil Injunction, which the Respect Order partially replaces, breach will be a criminal offence, enforceable by arrest and tried in the criminal court. Penalty for breach will include community sentences, unlimited fines, and prison time for the most serious breaches.We are also introducing, through the Crime and Policing Bill, the following measures:Removing the requirement for a police officer to issue a warning before seizing a motor-vehicle being used to cause ASB.Extending the maximum exclusion period for dispersal directions from 48 hours to 72 hours, with a mandatory review at 48 hours.Increasing the upper limit for a fixed penalty notice for breaches of a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) or a Community Protection Notice (CPN) from £100 to £500.Extending the timeframe that relevant agencies can apply to a magistrates’ court for a closure order from 48 hours after service of a closure notice to 72 hours.Extending the power to issue closure notices to registered social housing providers.Extending the powers available under the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme (CSAS) to allow CSAS officers to issue fixed penalty notices for breach of CPNs and PSPOs.Creating a duty for Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) to promote awareness of the ASB Case Review in their police force area and provide a route for victims to query decisions via their office.Introducing new ASB data reporting requirements by creating a power for the Home Secretary to make regulations requiring local bodies, such as councils and social housing providers, to report specified ASB data to the Home Office.

What steps she is taking to help tackle (a) low level and (b) county lines drug dealing.

To deliver our pledge to halve knife crime in the next decade, it is crucial that we tackle all drug supply, including gangs that run county lines through violence and exploitation.County Lines is the most violent model of drug supply and a harmful form of child criminal exploitation. That is why we are investing £42m this financial year (25/26) in the County Lines Programme, to target exploitative drug dealing gangs whilst breaking the organised crime groups behind this trade.From July 2024 to March 2025, law enforcement activity through the County Lines Programme taskforces has resulted in more than 1,200 deal lines closed, 2,000 arrests (including the arrest and subsequent charge of over 800 deal line holders) and 2,100 safeguarding referrals of children and vulnerable people. Over 320 children and young people also received dedicated specialist support through the County Lines Programme support service in that time.As committed to in the Government’s manifesto, we have introduced a new offence of child criminal exploitation in the Crime and Policing Bill to go after the gangs who are luring children into violence and crime. We are also introducing a new criminal offence of ‘coerced internal concealment’ as an amendment to the Bill, which will crack down on the dangerous practice of anyone, including gang leaders, who force people to hide items inside their bodies to avoid detection often as part of horrendous and exploitative drugs trade.

What steps is she taking to help tackle illegal immigration from Iran.

We continue to work closely with our partners across the Middle East to enhance capabilities concerning irregular migration and border security across the region, to further disrupt serious organised crime, including organised immigration crime and illicit drug flows.

If she will increase the number of police officers in neighbourhood teams in Nottinghamshire.

The Government has committed to restoring neighbourhood policing through the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee. This includes putting thousands more police personnel on the beat in neighbourhood policing roles up and down the country. As a part of this pledge, Nottinghamshire Police have been allocated £3,570,488 funding in 2025/26 to bolster their neighbourhood policing teams.Based on their funding allocation, Nottinghamshire Police’s projected growth over 2025/26 will be 30 police officers (FTE), 20 Police Community Support Officers (FTE), and 20 Special Constables (headcount).

What steps she is taking to retain police officers in Nottinghamshire.

The retention of police officers is a priority for the Home Office and the National Police Chiefs Council. Voluntary resignation rates in England and Wales, at 3.4%, are low compared to other sectors. Experienced officers are incredibly valuable which is why forces should be using evidence-based strategies to manage the retention and progression of officers. Retention activity is supported by the College of Policing which provides a learning platform to all forces that contains insights and guidance, themed around attraction, recruitment, onboarding and retention.In 2025-26, overall funding for policing will total up to £19.6 billion, an increase of up to £1.2 billion when compared to the 2024-25 police settlement. Nottinghamshire Police will receive up to £301.6 million in funding in 2025-26, an increase of up to £18.0 million when compared to the 2024-25 police settlement equating to a 6.4% cash increase.Of this, as part of the Officer Maintenance Ringfenced Grant, £376.8 million will be available to forces to maintain officer numbers at expected levels. Nottinghamshire Police has been allocated up to £6.2 million for maintaining a headcount of 2,408 officers.As part of the Neighbourhood Policing Grant, £200 million will be available to forces in 2025/26 to support the Government’s commitment in delivering 13,000 additional personnel into neighbourhood policing teams by the end of this parliament. Nottinghamshire Police has been allocated £3.6 million for an increase of 30 police officers, 20 PCSOs and 20 Special Constables.

What information her Department holds on the number of retail workers who have experienced violent crime at work in each of the last five years.

The Home Office publishes data on the number of incidents of violent crime recorded by the police in England and Wales. The latest data can be found here:Police recorded crime and outcomes open data tables - GOV.UKThe data includes incidents of robbery of business property, which includes robbery of retail premises as well as other business premises. Other types of violent crime against retail workers will fall under other categories of violent crime, such as assault with injury. It is not currently possible to identify which of these incidents were committed against retail workers during the course of their work.In the Crime and Policing Bill, we are bringing forward a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores.The offence will be allocated a specific Home Office Crime Recording Rule, which will help provide a more complete picture of the problem, in turn informing future policy decisions and enabling the police to respond accordingly.The Home Office has also published estimates from the Commercial Victimisation Survey (CVS) on the proportion of retail premises which experienced at least one incident of violent crime. This data can be found here:Crime against businesses statistics - GOV.UK

How many seizures of (a) cigarettes, (b) hand rolling tobacco and (c) other tobacco products have been made by Border Force at (i) seaports, (ii) airports and (iii) postal services, in each of the last five years.

The below statistics from Border Force’s transparency data outline the number of cigarettes and weight of tobacco seized in each of the last five years, but are not broken down by the location where they were seized.2020 – 509,032,596 Cigarette sticks, 110,774.2kg Tobacco2021 – 961,939,889 Cigarette sticks, 136,835.9kg Tobacco2022 – 827,211,419 Cigarette sticks, 93,717.57kg Tobacco2023 – 823,818,908 Cigarette sticks, 67,730.03kg Tobacco2024 – 934,104,940 Cigarette sticks, 72,143.33kg Tobacco

Whether she plans to use Eastwood Hall Hotel to accommodate irregular migrants.

As a matter of longstanding policy, the Home Office does not comment publicly on sites which may or may not be utilised to accommodate asylum seekers.However, if a hotel has been identified for use as contingency accommodation, Home Office officials will write to the local authority Chief Executive and the constituency MP to inform them of any such plans.It remains our absolute commitment to end the use of hotels over time, as part of our plans to reduce the overall cost of asylum accommodation.

What diversity, equality and inclusion targets her Department has for staff recruitment.

I refer the Hon Member to my response to his previous PQ 40631.

What diversity, equality and inclusion targets her Department has for staff recruitment.

In 2018, the Home Office agreed a series of targets for the representatives of its workforce, which it intended to achieve by 2024. More information on these targets can be found here: Home Office workforce diversity statistics: 2023 to 2024 - GOV.UK

What the total cost was of providing translation services in her Department in the last year.

The information requested is not centrally held, and could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.