Written questions by Vickers.

What the average payment has been to individuals (a) deported and (b) removed from the UK under voluntary return schemes 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.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that financial support offered to facilitate voluntary return does not incentivise future illegal migration.

Financial support is designed to help with reintegration once migrants have returned to their home country, ensuring the return is sustainable, and not as an incentive to re-enter the UK illegally. The various voluntary schemes operate under clear guidance to prevent misuse, including checks on eligibility and informed consent procedures. Individuals eligible for financial support through the Voluntary Returns Service receive a single payment on a card that can only be used in their home country. The Home Office monitors uptake and trends to ensure the different schemes remain cost-effective and are not abused. Further details on eligibility are published on gov.uk at Get help to return home if you’re a migrant in the UK: Who can get help - GOV.UK

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.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of security measures in place at hotels used for asylum accommodation; and whether such measures are consistent across all sites.

The Home Office, and wider government, work closely with Local Authorities to discuss proposed accommodation sites in their area. Each site has its own property and planning requirements which must be complied with. The Home Office ensures that all accommodation is safe, fit for purpose and meets all regulatory requirements.As part of its assurance processes, the Home Office conducts regular inspections and monitoring of asylum accommodation sites to ensure compliance with contractual and safety standards. These checks include reviewing security arrangements, staffing levels, and physical infrastructure such as fencing and lighting. Feedback from local authorities and service users is also considered to inform improvements.All sites have security staff, but the numbers vary depending upon the size of the sites. Some sites have additional measures including fencing installed to reduce access and unmanned access points to sites.The Asylum Accommodation and Support Contract (AASC) Requirements below gives a detailed breakdown of all the services to be undertaken by our accommodation providers and to the standards we expect. Full details of this can be found here: AASC Schedule 2 - Statement of Requirements.

What guidance she provides to (a) local authorities and (b) accommodation providers on (i) fencing, (ii) lighting, and (iii) security staffing at asylum accommodation sites.

The Home Office, and wider government, work closely with Local Authorities to discuss proposed accommodation sites in their area. Each site has its own property and planning requirements which must be complied with. The Home Office ensures that all accommodation is safe, fit for purpose and meets all regulatory requirements.As part of its assurance processes, the Home Office conducts regular inspections and monitoring of asylum accommodation sites to ensure compliance with contractual and safety standards. These checks include reviewing security arrangements, staffing levels, and physical infrastructure such as fencing and lighting. Feedback from local authorities and service users is also considered to inform improvements.All sites have security staff, but the numbers vary depending upon the size of the sites. Some sites have additional measures including fencing installed to reduce access and unmanned access points to sites.The Asylum Accommodation and Support Contract (AASC) Requirements below gives a detailed breakdown of all the services to be undertaken by our accommodation providers and to the standards we expect. Full details of this can be found here: AASC Schedule 2 - Statement of Requirements.

What steps her Department is taking to implement the recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, published in October 2022.

The Tackling Child Sexual Abuse Progress Update, published in April of this year, set out some of the actions we are driving forward across government to tackle all forms of child sexual abuse and exploitation. This includes an update on the response to the final recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.Several of the commitments made in response to the Inquiry’s recommendations are being implemented through measures in the Crime and Policing Bill. This includes a mandatory duty to report child sexual abuse, the removal of the limitation period for child sexual abuse civil claims and reforms to the disclosure and barring service. The Government is also taking forward work to establish a new Child Protection Authority for England, with a consultation to be launched before the end of the year.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the implementation of the statutory guidance entitled Working together to safeguard children, last updated on 12 June 2025, in preventing grooming gang activity.

The Government is committed to protecting children and continuing to strengthen our response to combat all forms of child sexual abuse and exploitation, including group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse.The current Working Together to Safeguard Children statutory guidance provides an important framework to support frontline professionals understand their responsibilities in ensuring effective safeguarding of children across the country. This clarifies that children at risk of harm outside their home, including online, should receive a coordinated multi-agency response in a timely way. Ofsted inspects the provision and quality of children’s social care services across all local authorities and is responsible for ensuring that local authorities adhere to statutory guidance including Working Together to Safeguard Children.This statutory guidance is one important tool, supported by additional measures to make sure frontline professionals have an effective and robust response to safeguarding and protecting children.This includes funding the independent Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse work to improve information-sharing where there are concerns of child sexual abuse and work to embed the Child Sexual Abuse Response Pathway across a range of local areas. And the Prevention delivered by The Children's Society, also seeks to raise awareness of child exploitation to professionals working within the private, statutory and third sectors, as well as the general public, and upskills staff to better respond to, disrupt and prevent multiple forms of child exploitation, including child sexual exploitation.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that lessons learned from grooming gang cases are applied nationally.

This Government is committed to strengthening local and national responses to child sexual exploitation and abuse, through the new national police operation in response to Baroness Casey’s Audit recommendations, which will identify inconsistencies in approach to investigating group based child sexual exploitation (including grooming gangs) and ensure identified best practice and lessons learnt are shared through guidance, including on the identification and protection of children at risk.Additionally we continue to support existing investments to support policing to tackle this type of offending.Central to these efforts is the Home Office-funded Child Sexual Exploitation Police Taskforce which provides practical, expert, on the ground support for all 43 forces in England and Wales. This includes identifying best practice and promoting it nationally to ensure any lessons learnt are shared widely, and providing specialist interventions where needed to support forces’ capabilities to identify and tackle group-based offending more effectively. The Home Office engages regularly with the Taskforce and policing leaders on this work which has victims and survivors at its heart.The Home Office is also investing over £9 million this year in the Tackling Organised Exploitation Programme (TOEX), including an expedited rollout of its Capabilities Environment to ensure all police investigators in England and Wales have access to an array of AI-enabled and time-saving tools. This will increase law enforcement’s capability to respond to organised exploitation, including child sexual exploitation by providing dedicated intelligence, analytical and technical expertise.The Department has regular discussions with policing on the identification and protection of children at risk, particularly in relation to the risk of sexual exploitation due to policing’s duties as a statutory safeguarding partner. This is particularly the case as reforms are implemented through the introduction of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.We are also working with the College of Policing and the National Centre for Violence Against Women and Girls and Public Protection to consider how forces’ most important resource can be bolstered – its officers. We continue to identify opportunities to strengthen officer training at all ranks to ensure the most effective and up-to-date methods to tackle child sexual exploitation and abuse are utilised.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure police forces have sufficient resources to investigate grooming gang offences.

This Government is committed to strengthening local and national responses to child sexual exploitation and abuse, through the new national police operation in response to Baroness Casey’s Audit recommendations, which will identify inconsistencies in approach to investigating group based child sexual exploitation (including grooming gangs) and ensure identified best practice and lessons learnt are shared through guidance, including on the identification and protection of children at risk.Additionally we continue to support existing investments to support policing to tackle this type of offending.Central to these efforts is the Home Office-funded Child Sexual Exploitation Police Taskforce which provides practical, expert, on the ground support for all 43 forces in England and Wales. This includes identifying best practice and promoting it nationally to ensure any lessons learnt are shared widely, and providing specialist interventions where needed to support forces’ capabilities to identify and tackle group-based offending more effectively. The Home Office engages regularly with the Taskforce and policing leaders on this work which has victims and survivors at its heart.The Home Office is also investing over £9 million this year in the Tackling Organised Exploitation Programme (TOEX), including an expedited rollout of its Capabilities Environment to ensure all police investigators in England and Wales have access to an array of AI-enabled and time-saving tools. This will increase law enforcement’s capability to respond to organised exploitation, including child sexual exploitation by providing dedicated intelligence, analytical and technical expertise.The Department has regular discussions with policing on the identification and protection of children at risk, particularly in relation to the risk of sexual exploitation due to policing’s duties as a statutory safeguarding partner. This is particularly the case as reforms are implemented through the introduction of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.We are also working with the College of Policing and the National Centre for Violence Against Women and Girls and Public Protection to consider how forces’ most important resource can be bolstered – its officers. We continue to identify opportunities to strengthen officer training at all ranks to ensure the most effective and up-to-date methods to tackle child sexual exploitation and abuse are utilised.

What discussions her Department has had with police forces on improving the (a) identification and (b) protection of children at risk of sexual exploitation.

This Government is committed to strengthening local and national responses to child sexual exploitation and abuse, through the new national police operation in response to Baroness Casey’s Audit recommendations, which will identify inconsistencies in approach to investigating group based child sexual exploitation (including grooming gangs) and ensure identified best practice and lessons learnt are shared through guidance, including on the identification and protection of children at risk.Additionally we continue to support existing investments to support policing to tackle this type of offending.Central to these efforts is the Home Office-funded Child Sexual Exploitation Police Taskforce which provides practical, expert, on the ground support for all 43 forces in England and Wales. This includes identifying best practice and promoting it nationally to ensure any lessons learnt are shared widely, and providing specialist interventions where needed to support forces’ capabilities to identify and tackle group-based offending more effectively. The Home Office engages regularly with the Taskforce and policing leaders on this work which has victims and survivors at its heart.The Home Office is also investing over £9 million this year in the Tackling Organised Exploitation Programme (TOEX), including an expedited rollout of its Capabilities Environment to ensure all police investigators in England and Wales have access to an array of AI-enabled and time-saving tools. This will increase law enforcement’s capability to respond to organised exploitation, including child sexual exploitation by providing dedicated intelligence, analytical and technical expertise.The Department has regular discussions with policing on the identification and protection of children at risk, particularly in relation to the risk of sexual exploitation due to policing’s duties as a statutory safeguarding partner. This is particularly the case as reforms are implemented through the introduction of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.We are also working with the College of Policing and the National Centre for Violence Against Women and Girls and Public Protection to consider how forces’ most important resource can be bolstered – its officers. We continue to identify opportunities to strengthen officer training at all ranks to ensure the most effective and up-to-date methods to tackle child sexual exploitation and abuse are utilised.

Whether her Department holds information on the reuse of life jackets recovered from small boat crossings by criminal gangs.

The majority of life jackets seized arrive in very poor condition and may be damaged during the recovery process, and are disposed of by Border Force’s approved contractors and, where appropriate, any suitable materials are recycled.

If she will make it her policy to ensure that recovered life jackets are not re-entered into circulation for use in further crossings.

The majority of life jackets seized arrive in very poor condition and may be damaged during the recovery process, and are disposed of by Border Force’s approved contractors and, where appropriate, any suitable materials are recycled.

What steps her Department is taking to support law enforcement agencies with the technical capability to (a) detect and (b) disrupt livestreamed child sexual abuse in real time.

The Government is unequivocal in its commitment to protecting children from all forms of child sexual exploitation and abuse. This includes ensuring that we are working to combat livestreamed abuse and ensuring that offenders cannot use technology to harm children with impunity.The Home Office continues to invest in a network of Undercover Online Officers (UCOLs) in Regional Organised Crime Units. UCOLs deploy online to identify and pursue offenders seeking to sexually exploit children, including those who consume and facilitate livestreaming operations. Home Office funding supports both the National Crime Agency to use its unique capabilities to disrupt the livestreaming of child abuse, and GCHQ’s aim to significantly reduce harm to children by addressing the volume and scope of online offending and helping to bring offenders to justice.In order to tackle the threat and reduce livestreaming of child sex abuse, which is an inherently transnational crime, the National Crime Agency (NCA) works in collaboration with law enforcement in the UK and internationally to pursue the highest harm offenders. The UK is also leading the way in supporting the building and developing thematic knowledge and operational capabilities of other international law enforcement agencies to work together to pursue offenders and safeguard children. In addition, the NCA is leading a number of initiatives with industry and engagement with the financial sector, to specifically prevent and detect livestreaming offending. This includes work to build on the UK-supported report by the Financial Action Taskforce (FATF) ‘Detecting, Disrupting and Investigating Online Child Sexual Exploitation’.This UK Government is prioritising our response to this crime, including crucial action through multilateral and bilateral forums to lead the way in ensuring there is robust international capacity to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse, including in response to livestreaming and other online offending, and working to keep children safe online and in communities around the world.

What steps she is taking to ensure that people in the UK who pay to direct livestreamed sexual abuse of children overseas are (a) identified and (b) prosecuted.

The Government is unequivocal in its commitment to protecting children from all forms of child sexual exploitation and abuse. This includes ensuring that we are working to combat livestreamed abuse and ensuring that offenders cannot use technology to harm children with impunity.The Home Office continues to invest in a network of Undercover Online Officers (UCOLs) in Regional Organised Crime Units. UCOLs deploy online to identify and pursue offenders seeking to sexually exploit children, including those who consume and facilitate livestreaming operations. Home Office funding supports both the National Crime Agency to use its unique capabilities to disrupt the livestreaming of child abuse, and GCHQ’s aim to significantly reduce harm to children by addressing the volume and scope of online offending and helping to bring offenders to justice.In order to tackle the threat and reduce livestreaming of child sex abuse, which is an inherently transnational crime, the National Crime Agency (NCA) works in collaboration with law enforcement in the UK and internationally to pursue the highest harm offenders. The UK is also leading the way in supporting the building and developing thematic knowledge and operational capabilities of other international law enforcement agencies to work together to pursue offenders and safeguard children. In addition, the NCA is leading a number of initiatives with industry and engagement with the financial sector, to specifically prevent and detect livestreaming offending. This includes work to build on the UK-supported report by the Financial Action Taskforce (FATF) ‘Detecting, Disrupting and Investigating Online Child Sexual Exploitation’.This UK Government is prioritising our response to this crime, including crucial action through multilateral and bilateral forums to lead the way in ensuring there is robust international capacity to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse, including in response to livestreaming and other online offending, and working to keep children safe online and in communities around the world.

What progress she has made on tackling (a) livestreamed child abuse and (b) other online sexual exploitation and abuse of children.

The Government is unequivocal in its commitment to protecting children from all forms of child sexual exploitation and abuse. This includes ensuring that we are working to combat livestreamed abuse and ensuring that offenders cannot use technology to harm children with impunity.The Home Office continues to invest in a network of Undercover Online Officers (UCOLs) in Regional Organised Crime Units. UCOLs deploy online to identify and pursue offenders seeking to sexually exploit children, including those who consume and facilitate livestreaming operations. Home Office funding supports both the National Crime Agency to use its unique capabilities to disrupt the livestreaming of child abuse, and GCHQ’s aim to significantly reduce harm to children by addressing the volume and scope of online offending and helping to bring offenders to justice.In order to tackle the threat and reduce livestreaming of child sex abuse, which is an inherently transnational crime, the National Crime Agency (NCA) works in collaboration with law enforcement in the UK and internationally to pursue the highest harm offenders. The UK is also leading the way in supporting the building and developing thematic knowledge and operational capabilities of other international law enforcement agencies to work together to pursue offenders and safeguard children. In addition, the NCA is leading a number of initiatives with industry and engagement with the financial sector, to specifically prevent and detect livestreaming offending. This includes work to build on the UK-supported report by the Financial Action Taskforce (FATF) ‘Detecting, Disrupting and Investigating Online Child Sexual Exploitation’.This UK Government is prioritising our response to this crime, including crucial action through multilateral and bilateral forums to lead the way in ensuring there is robust international capacity to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse, including in response to livestreaming and other online offending, and working to keep children safe online and in communities around the world.

Whether trends in levels of age-dispute cases have increased or decreased since June 2024.

The requested information is not currently available from published statistics and could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at a disproportionate cost.The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on the number of raised and resolved age disputes is published in table Asy_D05 of the 'Age disputes detailed datasets'. Age disputes data for July 2024 onwards is not available due to ongoing work on a new case working system. Updated data will be included in a future edition of the Immigration System Statistics release.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the use of recovered life jackets on investigations into people smuggling networks.

Due to sensitivities, we cannot go into detail on operational methods regarding investigations into people smuggling networks.

What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the process for the (a) collection, (b) storage and (c) disposal of life jackets recovered from small boat crossings.

The majority of life jackets seized arrive in very poor condition and may be damaged during the recovery process, and are disposed of by Border Force’s approved contractors and, where appropriate, any suitable materials are recycled.

What steps she is taking to improve public (a) awareness and (b) education on the (i) dangers of misusing air weapons and (ii) impact of that misuse on (A) animals and (B) communities.

The possession and use of air weapons is subject to statutory controls and regulation to guard against misuse and to ensure safe handling. In England and Wales, higher powered air rifles can only be held on a firearm certificate and higher powered air pistols are prohibited. Lower powered air weapons are subject to controls in relation to possession and use. We keep these controls under review, whilst the enforcement of the law on air weapons is an operational matter for police forces.A guide to air weapons safety is available on gov.uk and is intended to explain the law in relation to air weapons and to encourage responsible ownership and use. The guide provides advice on safe handling, recognising that irresponsible or misuse of firearms can result in serious injuries or death, The guide also stresses the importance of preventing children from accessing air weapons and sets out clearly how the law applies to possession in a public place and restrictions that apply to the shooting of air weapons where this can cause danger or injury to others, damage to property or injury or death wild animals, birds or pets.Alongside the guide, the Firearms (Air Weapons) (England and Wales) Rules 2023 clarified the ‘reasonable precautions’ that air weapon owners must take to safely store air weapons away from children when not in use, so that whenever under-18s are present, air weapons must be stored securely, out of sight, and separately from ammunition.

Whether she plans to improve (a) awareness and (b) enforcement of legislation on air weapon (i) safety and (ii) responsible ownership.

The possession and use of air weapons is subject to statutory controls and regulation to guard against misuse and to ensure safe handling. In England and Wales, higher powered air rifles can only be held on a firearm certificate and higher powered air pistols are prohibited. Lower powered air weapons are subject to controls in relation to possession and use. We keep these controls under review, whilst the enforcement of the law on air weapons is an operational matter for police forces.A guide to air weapons safety is available on gov.uk and is intended to explain the law in relation to air weapons and to encourage responsible ownership and use. The guide provides advice on safe handling, recognising that irresponsible or misuse of firearms can result in serious injuries or death, The guide also stresses the importance of preventing children from accessing air weapons and sets out clearly how the law applies to possession in a public place and restrictions that apply to the shooting of air weapons where this can cause danger or injury to others, damage to property or injury or death wild animals, birds or pets.Alongside the guide, the Firearms (Air Weapons) (England and Wales) Rules 2023 clarified the ‘reasonable precautions’ that air weapon owners must take to safely store air weapons away from children when not in use, so that whenever under-18s are present, air weapons must be stored securely, out of sight, and separately from ammunition.