Written questions by Vickers.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of emergency response driver training standards across in the (a) police, (b) fire and (c) ambulance services.

The Home Office supports police objectives to keep the public safe and ensure that officers can provide an emergency response, rapidly and effectively, to attend incidents. Police investment in technology for vehicle safety, along with guidance issued by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and College of Policing on response driving, help forces to achieve rapid responses and ensure public safety.Police drivers must undergo comprehensive training at several levels throughout their career and they have a duty to ensure that their standard of driving is consistent with their training.The development and maintenance of police driver training standards, along with driving-related curricula, are led by the College of Policing, with support from the National Police Chiefs’ Council, both of whom have expertise in this area of police operations.

What steps the Government is taking to help ensure public safety in relation to emergency response driving.

The Home Office supports police objectives to keep the public safe and ensure that officers can provide an emergency response, rapidly and effectively, to attend incidents. Police investment in technology for vehicle safety, along with guidance issued by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and College of Policing on response driving, help forces to achieve rapid responses and ensure public safety.Police drivers must undergo comprehensive training at several levels throughout their career and they have a duty to ensure that their standard of driving is consistent with their training.The development and maintenance of police driver training standards, along with driving-related curricula, are led by the College of Policing, with support from the National Police Chiefs’ Council, both of whom have expertise in this area of police operations.

Whether her Department has issued guidance to the Metropolitan Police on the circumstances in which conditions that effectively prevent a protest from taking place may be imposed under sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 in the last 12 months.

Sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 allow the police to impose conditions on public processions and public assemblies as necessary to prevent serious public disorder, serious damage to property, or serious disruption to the life of the community.Any conditions that are necessary can be placed on the public procession or public assembly, including the location or route, time and date, or prohibiting individuals entering any public space specified.  These powers do not allow police to ban protests or prevent protests from taking place.Decisions on how to police demonstrations are an operational matter for the police, working within the legal framework of the Public Order Act 1986.  In making these considerations, the police must always balance decisions with the right to peaceful protest.The College of Policing is responsible for providing guidance and operational advice for frontline policing. The College of Policing produces the Public Order Public Safety authorised professional practice. Alongside this, the Protest Operational Advice Document is published jointly by the College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs’ Council.

What steps she is taking to improve the timeliness and adequacy of information shared between her Department and local police forces.

The Home Office works closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s to address any concerns about information sharing between the department and police forces.

What assessment she has made of the impact of the recent visa reforms on workforce shortages in key sectors.

The Government’s approach is to link migration policy and visa controls to skills and labour market policies, so that immigration is not used as an alternative to training or tackling workforce problems in the UK. This approach will be important to enabling delivery of the Government’s broader agenda.

What discussions the Department has had with the police on improving protection for retail workers experiencing abuse or violence.

The Home Office has regular discussions with the police and other partners on protecting retail workers and tackling shop theft.The Home Office and Department for Business and Trade recently held a joint meeting of the Retail Crime Forum and Retail Sector Council, attended by representatives from policing and the retail sector, which included discussion on the ‘Tackling Retail Crime Together Strategy’. The strategy was jointly developed by the police and industry and aims to provide a collaborative and evidence-based approach to preventing retail crime, including abuse and violence against retail workers.Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are bringing in a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores. We are also removing the legislation which makes shop theft of and below £200 a summary-only offence, sending a clear message that any level of shop theft is illegal and will be taken seriously.

What steps her Department is taking to improve border security technology at ports of entry.

The Immigration White Paper, published in May 2025, sets out a range of measures to transform the border, including using technology to maintain security at ports of entry.The introduction of a ‘universal permission to travel’ requirement means that we know more about everyone wishing to travel to the UK including Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) and eVisa holders. This will allow for more interventions to take place upstream, with enhanced data and intelligent technologies also being used to target interventions on arrival, as well as using facial comparison technology to deliver consistent identity verification. We are currently reviewing the findings of a contactless eGate pilot and will announce further information on its implementation in due course.

What plans she has to increase support for victims of domestic abuse, including early intervention and safeguarding.

This government recognises the devastating impact of domestic abuse on victims, which is why we have set the ambitious target to halve VAWG in a decade. Prevention and early intervention will sit at the heart of the forthcoming Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, with a focus on addressing the root causes of VAWG including supporting our education system to teach children about respectful and healthy relationships and consent.In May 2025 we announced a £19.9m investment to provide vital support to victims of VAWG, increase awareness of VAWG and actively prevent these horrific crimes. This includes over £6 million for national helplines supporting victims of domestic abuse, 'honour'-based abuse, revenge porn and stalking and £2.5m on prevention and early intervention.

What recent steps she has taken to disrupt organised criminal gangs involved in human trafficking.

The Government is committed to tackling all forms of modern slavery, including human trafficking and ensuring that victims are identified and supported and offenders are brought to justice. The Modern Slavery Action Plan for 2025-2026 sets out the Government’s ambition to do this.Under the Action Plan, we are working closely with law enforcement partners in the UK and internationally, to share intelligence to identify organised criminal gangs and tackle the enablers of human trafficking to disrupt offending. This includes implementing measures through the Online Safety Act; providing support through the Modern Slavery Fund to tackle modern slavery at source and reduce the threat both overseas and to the UK; and commissioning research to better under the nexus between organised immigration crime and modern slavery, to identify new ways to break criminals’ business models.The National Police Chief Council Lead for Modern Slavery and Organised Immigration Crime is also developing a new national framework for investigating modern slavery, which is designed to support police officers at every stage of the investigative process to secure better outcomes.

What steps her Department is taking to help support police forces to tackle rising levels of online fraud and scams.

The Government, working with City of London Police, has recently replaced Action Fraud with a new and improved national police reporting service for fraud and cybercrime. The new service (Report Fraud) went live on 4 December. Report Fraud will provide better intelligence to support police and other partners with responding to online fraud and scams.In addition, the Government has completed recruitment of the National Fraud Squad (NFS) of specialist posts, led by the NCA and City of London Police. The NFS will take a proactive, intelligence-led approach to identifying and disrupting the most serious fraudsters operating in the online space and targeting the UK public.The Home Office has also undertaken a comprehensive review of the fraud training and skills landscape - we will implement the recommendations from this to ensure officers have the right skillset to respond to online fraud and scams.More broadly, under the Online Safety Act, companies in scope must now tackle fraudulent content at source, or face the possibility of significant fines from the regulator.The Government will set out a comprehensive Fraud Strategy early in the New Year. It will include measures to both protect consumers and disrupt criminal networks and ensure that the UK remains the most difficult environment possible for fraudsters to operate in.

What assessment her Department has been made of the level of police recruitment and retention rates; and what steps she is taking to help constabularies maintain the number of frontline police officers.

The Government is clear that visible policing is essential to restoring public confidence in the police. To support this aim, for 2025/26, £376.8 million will be available to forces to support officer numbers. This funding will be distributed as follows:£270.1 million will be ringfenced funding, which PCCs will be able to access, as in previous years, by demonstrating that they have met their officer headcount targets.£106.7 million will be paid to forces who received additional recruitment allocations in 2023/24 and 2024/25. This funding will be provided as an additional recruitment top up grant. It will be unconditional, and the funding distributed according to how much additional recruitment forces were allocated.The retention of police officers is a priority for the Home Office and the National Police Chiefs’ Council. Experienced officers are incredibly valuable which is why forces should be using effective evidence-based strategies to manage retention and progression of existing officers. Voluntary resignations rates for police officers remain low at 3.2% compared to other sectors.As at 31 March 2025, 90.3% of police officers worked in frontline roles (including visible operational frontline and non-visible frontline roles; excluding National Policing, unknown, and ‘Other’ functions), the same proportion as the previous year.Forces are operationally independent, and the deployment of officers remains an operational decision for Chief Constables.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of measures to deter small boat crossings in the English Channel.

The Government’s Plan for Change sets out our ambition to secure borders and control immigration. We are committed to tackling illegal migration and the criminal networks behind it.The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 has now received Royal Assent and the overarching impact assessment for this can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/border-security-asylum-and-immigration-bill-2025-impact-assessment/border-security-asylum-and-immigration-bill-2025-impact-assessment-accessible#impact-assessment The Government is continuously monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of our measures in place to tackle small boats. As stated in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act, the Border Security Command will be publishing an annual report, which must state the Commander’s views on the performance in the financial year of the border security system. This is set out in the Act here:https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2025/31/section/4/enactedBorder security is fundamental to both our national security and economic security and evaluating our approach is a critical part of that.

Whether she plans to improve oversight of biometric data storage and retention across law enforcement agencies.

The Home Office launched a public consultation on 04/12/2025 on the use of biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies.The responses received will inform the creation of a bespoke legal framework and oversight for the use of biometric, facial recognition and similar technologies.One aspect the consultation looks at is the oversight of biometric data storage and retention across law enforcement agencies.

What recent discussions her Department has had with constabularies on reducing response times for burglary and neighbourhood crime.

The Government's Safer Streets Mission sets a clear expectation for policing to deliver safer communities and improved public confidence. We are committed to giving forces the resources they need to keep the public safe.It is for Chief Constables and directly elected PCCs, and Mayors with PCC functions to make operational decisions based on their local knowledge and experience. This includes how best to allocate all the resources at their disposal to provide responses to emergency calls alongside all the other services and support they provide to communities.The 2025-26 final police funding settlement provides up to £19.6 billion for the policing system in England and Wales. Total funding to police forces will be up to £17.6 billion, an increase of up to £1.2 billion compared to the 2024-25 police funding settlement - a significant increase, and more than the increase last year. This equates to a 7.1% cash increase, and 4.6% real terms increase in funding. This includes £376.8 million for officer maintenance and an additional £200 million to kickstart the first phase of 13,000 additional police officers, PCSOs and special constables into neighbourhood policing roles.

What proportion of deported individuals received financial assistance to leave since July 2024.

The Home Office publishes all available information on returns expenditure in the Home Office Annual Report and accounts at Home Office annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK(opens in a new tab)(opens in a new tab)The number of foreign national offenders returned under the Facilitated Returns Scheme (FRS) is published as part of the Immigration Enforcement transparency data at table FNO_09. The latest publication can be found at Migration transparency data - GOV.UKThe number of foreign nationals returned under the Voluntary Returns Scheme (VRS) is published as part of the quarterly Immigration system statistics, with the latest publication being for Q2 2025. The latest published data on VRS returns can be viewed at How many people are returned from the UK? - GOV.UKIndividuals departing are subject to a re-entry ban after departing the UK. The length of the ban depends on the circumstances of the individual case. Individuals who return illegally can face a range of sanctions, including prosecution.

What mechanisms are in place to recover public funds from people who return to the UK unlawfully after receiving financial support to leave.

The Home Office publishes all available information on returns expenditure in the Home Office Annual Report and accounts at Home Office annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK(opens in a new tab)(opens in a new tab)The number of foreign national offenders returned under the Facilitated Returns Scheme (FRS) is published as part of the Immigration Enforcement transparency data at table FNO_09. The latest publication can be found at Migration transparency data - GOV.UKThe number of foreign nationals returned under the Voluntary Returns Scheme (VRS) is published as part of the quarterly Immigration system statistics, with the latest publication being for Q2 2025. The latest published data on VRS returns can be viewed at How many people are returned from the UK? - GOV.UKIndividuals departing are subject to a re-entry ban after departing the UK. The length of the ban depends on the circumstances of the individual case. Individuals who return illegally can face a range of sanctions, including prosecution.

What estimate her Department has made of the cost to the public purse of (a) voluntary return and (b) deportation schemes since July 2024.

The Home Office publishes all available information on returns expenditure in the Home Office Annual Report and accounts at Home Office annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK(opens in a new tab)(opens in a new tab)The number of foreign national offenders returned under the Facilitated Returns Scheme (FRS) is published as part of the Immigration Enforcement transparency data at table FNO_09. The latest publication can be found at Migration transparency data - GOV.UKThe number of foreign nationals returned under the Voluntary Returns Scheme (VRS) is published as part of the quarterly Immigration system statistics, with the latest publication being for Q2 2025. The latest published data on VRS returns can be viewed at How many people are returned from the UK? - GOV.UKIndividuals departing are subject to a re-entry ban after departing the UK. The length of the ban depends on the circumstances of the individual case. Individuals who return illegally can face a range of sanctions, including prosecution.

How many number payments were made to people (i) deported and (ii) voluntarily returned under Home Office schemes since July 2024; and what the value of those payments were.

The Home Office publishes all available information on returns expenditure in the Home Office Annual Report and accounts at Home Office annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK(opens in a new tab)(opens in a new tab)The number of foreign national offenders returned under the Facilitated Returns Scheme (FRS) is published as part of the Immigration Enforcement transparency data at table FNO_09. The latest publication can be found at Migration transparency data - GOV.UKThe number of foreign nationals returned under the Voluntary Returns Scheme (VRS) is published as part of the quarterly Immigration system statistics, with the latest publication being for Q2 2025. The latest published data on VRS returns can be viewed at How many people are returned from the UK? - GOV.UKIndividuals departing are subject to a re-entry ban after departing the UK. The length of the ban depends on the circumstances of the individual case. Individuals who return illegally can face a range of sanctions, including prosecution.

What recent discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on funding for (a) voluntary and (b) enforced removal schemes of foreign national offenders in the 2025-26 financial year.

We will not provide a running commentary on discussions between the Home Office and HMT on in-year funding for removal schemes. The costs associated with voluntary and enforced removals (including foreign national offenders) are varied. The total amount spent on returning people in the 2025/26 financial year will be published in the Home Office annual report and accounts in Summer 2026.

What recent steps her Department has taken to help ensure transparency in payments made to individuals (a) deported and (b) voluntarily returned from the UK since July 2024.

The information requested regarding the specific value of payments made under the Voluntary Returns Service (VRS) and Facilitated Return Scheme (FRS) are not separately available from published statistics.The Home Office publishes all available information on returns expenditure in the Home Office Annual Report and accounts at Home Office annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK(opens in a new tab)(opens in a new tab)FRS and VRS are not an alternative to removal or deportation but facilitate the early removal of FNOs and those without leave to remain in the UK, helping them to re-settle in their country of origin. Voluntary removals benefit the UK taxpayer as costs of detention, appeals, and other legal challenges are significantly reduced.