Written questions by Pritchard.

Whether training is provided to asylum seekers on British (a) law and (b) culture while asylum applications are being processed.

While asylum applications are being processed, asylum seekers do not receive formal training on British law or culture. However, at the point a claim is made, asylum seekers are provided with written information, including a point of claim information leaflet, which sets out key information about the asylum process and the standards of behaviour expected while their claim is under consideration.In addition, upon arrival into Home Office‑provided accommodation, asylum seekers receive an induction briefing explaining what constitutes appropriate behaviour. This sets out acceptable and unacceptable behaviours, as well as their responsibilities as individuals to act as good neighbours.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.No one in the UK, including foreign nationals, asylum seekers or refugees, is above the law. The Home Office does not tolerate criminal behaviour, and asylum seekers who commit criminal offences are subject to the law in the same way as anyone else. Any criminality will be taken into account when considering an individual’s asylum claim, and serious offending can have consequences for a person’s immigration status, including refusal of asylum and removal from the UK where appropriate. Criminal and anti-social behaviour can also lead to removal of asylum support.

What plans she has to help address the under-reporting of sexual offences in England and Wales.

Rape and sexual offences are amongst the most harmful crimes in society and can have a devastating impact on victims, their loved ones and our communities.We know that these crimes are underreported, and we are taking action to ensure victims have the confidence to report these offences and trust they will be taken seriously and supported when they do.We have made several commitments to transform the criminal justice response to sexual offences. This includes ensuring there are specialist rape and sexual offences teams in every force by 2029, introducing free independent legal advice for adult victims of rape, and fast‑tracking rape cases.Through the National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection, we are also continuing to support Operation Soteria and ensuring officers build the strongest possible, suspect‑focused cases to bring perpetrators of these horrific crimes to justice.

Whether she plans to (a) expand and (b) refine the categories of sexual offences used in police recorded crime data for monitoring (i) the nature of offences committed and (ii) trends in sexual offences data in England and Wales.

The police recorded crime collection is primarily an offence-based series in which crimes are recorded by the police in England and Wales based on the criminal offence that has been committed.To respond to user needs, sub-categories have been created such as providing a breakdown of the age and sex of victims of rape, and qualifiers to indicate if the crime was related to child sexual abuse or exploitation or was committed online. These provide more insight on the nature of such offences and the Home Office continually reviews the presentation of its official statistics to ensure they meet user needs.In the recently published VAWG Strategy the government committed to improving the quality and availability of data which will include data collected by the police on sexual offences.Data on sexual offences recorded by the police in England and Wales are published by the Office for National Statistics and trends from 2002/03 can be found in table A5a here:https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/crimeinenglandandwalesappendixtables

What information her Department holds on the number of sexual offences that have been committed by asylum seekers in (a) the West Mercia Police region and (b) Shropshire since 2025.

The Home Office does not hold data on the number of people in asylum accommodation who have been accused of a crime. Allegations of criminal activity are matters for the police, who are responsible for recording, investigating, and progressing criminal reports.Home Office accommodation providers and operational staff work closely with local police forces to share relevant safeguarding information to manage risks within the asylum accommodation estate. Where incidents occur, established processes ensure that appropriate action is taken to protect both asylum seekers and staff, and additional support is deployed where necessary.

What information her Department holds on whether the Security Service was aware of (a) the illegal activities of Jeffrey Epstein, (b) his relationship with Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and (c) advice given by the Security Service to the Royal Household about these matters.

It has been the long-standing policy of successive governments not to comment on intelligence matters.

If she will take steps to ensure illegal migrants accommodated in (a) hotels and (b) other government supported accommodation are (i) kept securely within that accommodation and (ii) limited in the number of hours they are permitted to leave that accommodation.

The Home Office provides accommodation and support to destitute asylum seekers under statutory provisions such as Sections 95 and 98 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. This accommodation is non‑detained, and the Department does not have legal powers to keep individuals securely within it or limit the hours they may leave.Some individuals may be on immigration bail, which is an alternative to detention and requires them to comply with one or more conditions. These may include residing at a specific address or reporting to the Home Office. Breach of a bail condition is a criminal offence and may result in detention or other enforcement action.Absence from accommodation does not automatically mean a person has absconded. A person is only considered to have absconded if they fail to comply with their immigration bail conditions and the Home Office cannot re‑establish contact. A dedicated tracing team works closely with the police and other partners to locate such individuals.Accommodation providers must report when service users are absent from their address, and the Home Office investigates these cases as possible breaches of asylum support conditions. If a person is found to have left their accommodation without good reason, their support may be discontinued. Providers are also expected to escalate concerns where someone may be at risk or potentially a victim of modern slavery.

If she will take steps to ensure illegal migrants accommodated in (a) hotels and (b) other government supported accommodation who leave that accommodation and do not report back within 72 hours are reported to UK Visas and Immigration and the police as having absconded except in pre-arranged and agreed exceptional circumstances.

The Home Office provides accommodation and support to destitute asylum seekers under statutory provisions such as Sections 95 and 98 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. This accommodation is non‑detained, and the Department does not have legal powers to keep individuals securely within it or limit the hours they may leave.Some individuals may be on immigration bail, which is an alternative to detention and requires them to comply with one or more conditions. These may include residing at a specific address or reporting to the Home Office. Breach of a bail condition is a criminal offence and may result in detention or other enforcement action.Absence from accommodation does not automatically mean a person has absconded. A person is only considered to have absconded if they fail to comply with their immigration bail conditions and the Home Office cannot re‑establish contact. A dedicated tracing team works closely with the police and other partners to locate such individuals.Accommodation providers must report when service users are absent from their address, and the Home Office investigates these cases as possible breaches of asylum support conditions. If a person is found to have left their accommodation without good reason, their support may be discontinued. Providers are also expected to escalate concerns where someone may be at risk or potentially a victim of modern slavery.

If she will consider the potential merits of offering fast track UK citizenship to asylum seekers who report (i) the preparation of acts of terror, (ii) serious organised crime and (iii) approaches by a hostile state to undermine the UK's national security and community cohesion.

The requirements to become a British citizen are set out in the British Nationality Act 1981 and apply equally to everyone. The Act does not allow the government to reduce residential periods for those who report crimes.The Government has recently launched a consultation, which runs until 12 February 2026, on proposals to reform arrangements for granting settlement in the UK, and under which applicants will be able to earn a reduction in the qualifying period if they meet criteria linked to suitability, integration, contribution and residence.Any changes to the statutory requirements for citizenship will require an amendment to the British Nationality Act 1981 which will go through the usual parliamentary process.

If she will take steps with mobile phone companies to introduce a (a) single and (b) central emergency telephone number paid for by mobile phone (i) operators and (ii) manufacturers to allow reporting by victims of unlocked mobile phone theft to report those thefts immediately; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of doing so on (A) (1) financial and (2) personal data theft and (ii) the number of police hours dedicated to mobile phone crimes.

The Home Secretary and Policing Minister are determined to take the strongest possible action to reduce the number of phone thefts in London and elsewhere across the country.This is a crime that causes significant distress to victims and fuels wider criminality. That’s why we are driving greater collaboration between policing leaders, the Metropolitan Police, National Crime Agency, the Mayor of London, leading tech companies and others to break the business model of mobile phone thieves. This has included exploring what technical interventions would be most effective, including discussion around improving reporting mechanisms when a mobile phone is stolen. Positive developments include commitments to improving visibility of unique identification numbers/IMEIs to help identify stolen devices and raising awareness of existing mechanisms for reporting the theft of mobile devices, which include calling 101, going to a local police station or reporting the crime anonymously via Crimestoppers.All stakeholders must play their part in designing out and disincentivising this type of theft, disrupting the resale of stolen phones, exploring technological solutions to make devices harder to re-register or resell, and helping the public protect themselves and the data and personal information on their devices.

If she will publish details on an annual basis of the number of animals which are bred for, but not used in, scientific procedures in Britain each year.

The Home Office is presently reviewing the collection and publication of additional statistics on animals that were bred for, but not used in, scientific procedures.

If she will introduce a tax-free annual bonus to help improve recruitment and retention of special police constables.

As part of the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, we are committed to increasing the number of special constables across England and Wales.To support this commitment, we are exploring a range of measures to improve the recruitment and retention of special constables. This includes considering how we can better incentivise the role, recognise their service, and ensure they feel supported and valued.

If she will hold discussions with her US counterpart on taking joint steps to counter efforts by the Russian GRU to bring down transatlantic aircraft through the development of incendiary devices.

National security is the first priority of government, and we work closely with all our international partners to assess and tackle all threats. As is our long-standing position, the Home Office does not comment in detail on operational, intelligence or security matters.

What steps her Department is taking to help counter the UK operations of the GRU’s Department of Special Tasks.

National security is the first priority of government, and we work closely with all our international partners to assess and tackle all threats. As is our long-standing position, the Home Office does not comment in detail on operational, intelligence or security matters.

Whether her Department is taking steps to stop ISIS-K members from using conventional visa routes to travel to the UK from the central Asian republics.

It would not be appropriate to comment in detail on operational security matters or specific cases. However, all visa applications are subject to comprehensive security checks and we maximise the use of upstream interventions to prevent people who pose a threat to the UK from being able to travel.

If she will commission research into the (a) role of (i) Russia (ii) Belarus (iii) Iran (iv) China and (v) Yemen in the migration of people and (b) potential impact of that migration on national security.

Tackling irregular migration is a key focus for this government and we regularly research and review the drivers behind it to inform our response. National security, including security at our border, is of the highest importance which is why the Border Security Command was launched and works with colleagues across government and with a range of international partners to disrupt the activity of criminal smuggling gangs.

If she will introduce increased criminal sanctions for crypto exchange companies who (a) launder stolen crypto currency and (b) allow (i) criminal gangs and (ii) hostile states to trade cryptocurrencies for other assets.

Cryptoassets exchanges, like all businesses who launder funds, can be prosecuted under the money laundering offences in Part 7 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and fined accordingly. In April 2024, new powers came into force to enable law enforcement to more effectively investigate, seize, and recover the proceeds of crime within the cryptoasset ecosystem.Since 2020, businesses providing cryptoasset services that fall under the scope of the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 (MLRs) in the United Kingdom have also been required to register with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and comply with the requirements of the regulations. They must also comply with the UK sanctions regime and are obliged to report any breach of these regimes to the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI). They should further consider their obligation to submit a suspicious activity report (SAR) to the UK Financial Intelligence Unit.More widely, the government has bolstered law enforcement’s capacity and capability to tackle money laundering through cryptoassets. This includes new specialist capability in the NCA and partner agencies, funding public-private crypto collaboration teams in police forces and Regional Organised Crime Units, and the development of a multi-agency operational crypto cell to ensure that knowledge and abilities in investigating cryptoassets are pooled together and all available tools and powers are exploited efficiently.

If she will increase sanctions for people who make fake (a) bomb threats and (b) calls to the emergency services.

Making a bomb threat or other any other type of hoax phone call to the emergency services is a criminal offence. All calls to the emergency services are recorded and the number can be traced, even if withheld. Local services regularly remind the public of the serious consequences of hoax calls.Emergency services may also request a Communications Provider to place a temporary restriction on the account of the hoax/nuisance caller. However, contact management, including the management of hoax calls, is an operational matter for services. Any decision is for the emergency authority to take.There are existing mechanisms in place for emergency services to share information on hoax callers and where hoax calling is deliberate, policing may use legislation to prosecute persistent offenders.The Home Office currently has no plans to review the sanctions against those making bomb threats or hoax calls to emergency services.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of increasing funding for the security service in the context of existing and emerging state and non-state threats to the UK’s national security.

Keeping the country safe is the first duty of government. MI5 has a key role to play alongside SIS, GCHQ and the rest of the UK’s national security and law enforcement community in achieving that.The Chancellor confirmed in the Autumn Budget on 13 October an additional £499m funding for the Single Intelligence Account, which includes MI5, SIS and GCHQ, to ensure that our agencies are equipped to do the vital job we require of them.

If she will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that the devolved parliaments and assemblies have sufficient resources to (a) detect, (b) deter and (c) prosecute any malign State activities seeking to undermine those democratic institutions.

The Defending Democracy Taskforce regularly engages and works with devolved Governments and Parliaments on threats facing our democracy including foreign interference.This includes supporting the delivery of cyber security advice which makes available expert cyber support to elected representatives across the UK’s Devolved Parliaments.In addition, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), as a standing member of the Taskforce, continues to deliver the enhanced cyber security offer for elected representatives across the UK - at local, Devolved, and national levels - to better protect them, their teams, and families online.The National Security Act 2023 also provides the security services and law enforcement agencies with the tools they need to deter, detect, and disrupt modern-day state threats, including foreign interference.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing performance-related pay for Chief Constables based on (a) rates of crime reduction and (b) crime outcomes including (i) charges and (ii) summonses.

PCCs and Mayors with PCC functions, as the locally elected representative for policing, are responsible for holding Chief Constables to account for their performance and that of their force. This government will continue to work with PCCs and chief constables to set clear expectations for policing on performance and standards to ensure that our communities have an effective and efficient police service within their force area.The Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) makes recommendations to the Government on the appropriate level of pay and allowances for chief police officers. This government values their independent and expert advice.