Written questions by Cocking.

What the cost to the public purse was of providing legal aid to asylum seekers charged with criminal offences in the UK in the last year.

Expenditure data for asylum seekers across all legal aid schemes is not held centrally.

What consideration is being given to the needs of older people in the implementation of digital-only ticketing systems for public transport.

The Government is not responsible for all digital ticketing. However, when implementing any Government policy, due regard is given to the Public Sector Equality Duty and to protected characteristics, such as age, across all modes of public transport.For those public transport systems, the Government is responsible for this includes the implementation of digital ticketing.For public transport systems outside of Government responsibility, we are clear that consideration is needed to ensure greater uptake of smart ticketing does not result in digital exclusion, and those paying cash are still able to use transport services and are able to reap the benefits of discounted fares.

How many asylum seekers have been prosecuted for sexual offences in the last year; and what proportion were housed in government-funded accommodation at the time.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the number of defendants prosecuted for sexual offences. This can be obtained in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, which can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics.However, data held centrally does not include if a defendant was an asylum seeker or where they were housed.The removal of Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) is a priority of this Government, to reduce pressures on prison capacity and mitigate the associated expense to the taxpayer. This is why we are introducing new measures to enable the earlier removal of determinate sentenced FNOs as soon after sentencing as possible.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the deterrent effect of immediate deportation for foreign nationals convicted of criminal offences.

The removal of Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) is a priority of this Government, which is why we are introducing new measures to enable the earlier removal of determinate sentenced FNOs as soon after sentencing as possible.Deportation is a significant punishment and it is beneficial for us to deport FNOs as quickly as possible to protect the public, reduce pressures on prison capacity and mitigate the associated expense to the taxpayer. Once removed they will be barred from ever returning.

Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to ensure the availability of reliable broadband in rural areas to support access to essential services.

Through Project Gigabit, we are delivering future-proofed, gigabit-capable connections nationwide, to UK premises that are not included in suppliers' commercial plans, including to premises in rural areas.

Innovation and Technology, what estimate he has made of the proportion of households with occupants over the age of 75 that do not have access to reliable broadband.

Ofcom, the independent regulator of telecommunications, estimates that there are 48,000 premises without access to decent broadband – i.e. at least 10Mbit/s download and 1Mbit/s upload speed - in the UK. We do not have sufficient data to estimate how many of these premises have occupants over the age of 75.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of digital exclusion on the quality of life for older people.

Those who cannot use digital technologies are likely to pay more for certain transactions, have worse health outcomes, and find it more difficult to manage their finance. That’s why tackling digital exclusion, which disproportionately impacts certain demographics including older people, is a priority for Government.In February we published the Digital Inclusion Action Plan, which outlines the first five actions we are taking over the next year on digital inclusion.One of these actions was to launch the £9.5mn Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund to support and expand local community initiatives to get people online. All funded projects will support at least one of the focus demographic groups, including older people.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of The Removal, Storage and Disposal of Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Regulations 2023 on people who have had their vehicle stolen.

Following the introduction of The Removal, Storage and Disposal of Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Regulations 2023, there has been no assessment of the potential impact on those who have had their vehicle stolen. The Government’s role is limited to setting the statutory charges which the Police can levy when they have exercised their recovery powers for stolen vehicles.

How many properties have been procured by (a) her Department and (b) contracted companies to serve as dispersal housing for asylum seekers in Broxbourne constituency.

The Home Office does not publish detailed information on the location of asylum accommodation sites for safety and security reasons. Data, published quarterly, on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation can be found within the Asy_D11 tab of our most recent statistics release. The data can broken down by local authority rather than by constituency. Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK.The Home Office, and its accommodation providers, take into account a range of issues when considering the suitability for dispersed accommodation. Local authorities are consulted on bedspaces before they are procured.

What steps she is taking to enforce the requirement that riders of (a) motorcycles and (b) mopeds hold a valid compulsory basic training certificate.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) does not hold precise data on the proportion of riders who complete CBT and subsequently progress to a full motorcycle license within the two-year validity period of their CBT certificate. In the financial year 2023/24 180,425 certificates were sold to the motorcycle training industry, in the same period 39,935 riders passed their on road motorcycle test.Enforcement of the licensing laws and riding standards are matters for individual police forces.

How many holders of a compulsory basic training certificate do not complete a (a) moped and (b) motorcycle test within two years.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) does not hold precise data on the proportion of riders who complete CBT and subsequently progress to a full motorcycle license within the two-year validity period of their CBT certificate. In the financial year 2023/24 180,425 certificates were sold to the motorcycle training industry, in the same period 39,935 riders passed their on road motorcycle test.Enforcement of the licensing laws and riding standards are matters for individual police forces.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of digital exclusion on older people’s ability to access NHS services.

People unable to access the NHS App or online services, or visit their general practice (GP) in person, can ask for a feature called proxy access available through the NHS App. This function allows a trusted relative or carer to act on the patient’s behalf and can be set up through the patient’s GP surgery, so that they can help them manage their health and care. This is done through a proxy, or linked, account. Depending on the access that the GP surgery has enabled, proxy users may be able to act for the person they support, by ordering repeat prescriptions, booking appointments, viewing test results or vaccinations, and accessing all or part of the GP health record, to help with health-related tasks and managing health issues.While digital health tools like the NHS App offer convenience, they should be part of a wider offering that includes face-to-face support with appropriate help for people who struggle to access digital services.NHS England has published a framework for National Health Service action on digital inclusion and is developing further resources to support practical actions. All programmes are actively considering how they can contribute to improvements in healthcare inequalities and digital inclusion. Digital health tools are part of a wider offering that includes face-to-face support and telephone services, with appropriate help for people who struggle to access digital services.NHS England has successfully run a number of programmes to support patients, carers, and health service staff with their digital skills. These include: - the NHS App ‘Spoken Word’ Pilot project, designed to test the efficacy of promoting NHS digital health products and services in languages other than English;- the Digital Health Champions programme, a proof of concept to support citizens who have no or low digital skills with understanding how to access health services online; and- the Widening Digital Participation programme, aimed to ensure more people have the digital skills, motivation, and means to access health information and services online. GP surgeries also offer patients non-digital methods to manage their primary and secondary healthcare, and these methods usually consist of telephonic communication and letters. Patients can request a non-digital route by registering their preference with their GP surgery.

Whether the proximity of (a) schools and (b) other youth facilities is taken into account when procuring dispersal accommodation.

The Home Office does not publish detailed information on the location of asylum accommodation sites for safety and security reasons. Data, published quarterly, on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation can be found within the Asy_D11 tab of our most recent statistics release. The data can broken down by local authority rather than by constituency. Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK.The Home Office, and its accommodation providers, take into account a range of issues when considering the suitability for dispersed accommodation. Local authorities are consulted on bedspaces before they are procured.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of using dispersal accommodation for asylum seekers on the availability of housing for British citizens.

Under the Immigration Act of 1999, any government has a legal obligation to provide accommodation to asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute.The Home Office and its accommodation providers work closely with local authorities across the country to ensure that local context, expertise and intelligence informs decision making regarding suitability of dispersed accommodation. Full Dispersal facilitates the procurement of dispersed accommodation in a fair, balanced and controlled manner.The Home Office remains committed to working collaboratively with local authorities to ensure that any potential impact on local communities and areas are understood and minimised.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of asylum accommodation on women's safety in those communities.

The safety and wellbeing of the local communities in which asylum accommodation is located is of paramount importance. The Home Office works in collaboration with local authorities and other partners to ensure that accommodation sites are successfully managed and the impact upon the local community is minimised. Any incident relating to security or community cohesion is reported to the Home Office immediately, so any necessary changes can be made as soon as possible.No one in the UK, including foreign nationals, asylum seekers or refugees, is above the law. Asylum seekers are clearly advised of the expectations the Home Office and accommodation providers have for them to behave responsibly while they are accommodated in Home Office properties and not to engage in any form of criminal or anti-social activity.This Government is also delivering a cross-government transformative approach to halve violence against women and girls, underpinned by a new VAWG strategy to be published this year.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of accommodating asylum seekers with unknown or unverifiable criminal histories on public safety.

The Home Office has a legal obligation to accommodate asylum seekers where they would otherwise be destitute. All asylum seekers undergo checks against policing and immigration databases.Decisions on allocation of asylum seekers to accommodation are made with case-by-case consideration of an individual’s circumstances and needs, in line with published policy. Safeguarding and welfare remain a priority, and the Home Office works closely with statutory partners where required.

Whether her Department records the number of repeat offenders within the asylum seeker population.

The information you have requested is not available from published statistics.The UK will always offer protection to those in genuine need, but we will not allow our asylum system to be exploited by those who commit crimes or endanger our communities.Any Foreign National who is convicted of a crime, including those seeking asylum, are referred to the Home Office for deportation immediately following sentencing and will be excluded from protection under the Refugee Convention if they have committed a ‘particularly serious crime’ as defined in Section 72 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002.The government has also toughened the definition of a ‘particularly serious crime’ to include all sexual offence convictions that trigger notification requirements through another BSAI Bill amendment announced earlier this year. For the first time, foreign nationals on the sex offenders’ register will be automatically denied refugee status.In the first year of this government over 35,000 individuals with no right to be here, including failed asylum seekers and foreign national offenders, have already been returned - a 13% increase compared to the same period 12 months prior.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of asylum seeker hotels on (a) local crime rates and (b) police resource allocation.

The safety and wellbeing of the local communities in which asylum accommodation is located is of paramount importance. The Home Office works in collaboration with local authorities and other partners to ensure that accommodation sites are successfully managed and the impact upon the local community is minimised.  Any incident relating to security or community cohesion is reported to the Home Office immediately, so any necessary changes can be made as soon as possible.No one in the UK, including foreign nationals, asylum seekers or refugees, is above the law.  Asylum seekers are clearly advised of the expectations the Home Office and accommodation providers have for them to behave responsibly while they are accommodated in Home Office properties and not to engage in any form of criminal or anti-social activity.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of asylum seekers on the safeguarding of children and young people.

All those who claim asylum undergo a series of security checks against immigration and police databases and are screened to identify individuals who may have been involved in criminality both in the UK and outside the UK or are of national security interest. Further information regarding security checks during the asylum screening process is available in published policy guidance on GOV.UK at: Screening and routing.docx (publishing.service.gov.uk). The Home Office takes the safety and welfare of all children extremely seriously and protecting vulnerable people is a cross-cutting departmental priority. Officials are constantly alert to any signs that a child is at risk of harm or abuse or may have been trafficked.The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and stakeholders.

How much has been spent on providing dental care for asylum seekers in hotels in the last year.

The overall management of asylum seekers is a matter for the Home Office.The Department of Health and Social Care does not hold data on the expenditure on dental care provided to asylum seekers in hotels in the last year.