Written questions by Wilkinson.

How much funding has been allocated to Opal in the National Policing Intelligence Unit in each year since 2021.

Opal is the National Policing Intelligence Unit for serious organised acquisitive crime. In 2023/4 and 2024/5, the Home Office provided £30,000 each year to help set up and run Pegasus which provides for a retail crime desk within Opal.The Home Office is providing £5 million over the three financial years from 2025/6 to continue to fund Opal’s work with retailers and police forces to identify and dismantle organised crime groups and prolific offenders.

With reference to her Department's White Paper entitled From local to national: a new model for policing, published on 26 January 2026, whether the funding announced for Opal is an yearly increase on past and current funding.

Opal is the National Policing Intelligence Unit for serious organised acquisitive crime. In 2023/4 and 2024/5, the Home Office provided £30,000 each year to help set up and run Pegasus which provides for a retail crime desk within Opal.The Home Office is providing £5 million over the three financial years from 2025/6 to continue to fund Opal’s work with retailers and police forces to identify and dismantle organised crime groups and prolific offenders.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of aligning strategic authority mayoral boundaries with new regional policing boundaries.

The Police Reform White Paper, published on 26 January 2026, represents the most significant reforms to policing in England and Wales since the service was professionalised nearly 200 years ago. As part of this, the White Paper sets out an ambition to significantly reduce the number of police forces by the end of the next Parliament.An Independent Review of police structures, which will report this Summer, will examine the optimal configuration of police forces. The review will consider alignment of public service boundaries, including mayoral and local authorities. Mayors and elected local leaders will continue to be a core part of the governance and accountability arrangements for policing.

With reference to Section 22 of the Department's White Paper entitled From local to national: a new model for policing, published on 26 January 2026, how does her Department define dangerous behaviour; and what criteria do they use to identify it.

There is no one specific definition of ‘dangerous behaviour’ or any exhaustive list of the criteria for identifying it, as this changes as crime changes and evolves. However, the College of Policing (CoP) provide a non-statutory definition of Potentially Dangerous Persons (PDPs) which states that:'A PDP is a person who is not currently managed under one of the three Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) categories, but reasonable grounds exist for believing that there is a risk of them committing an offence or offences that will cause serious harm.’The MAPPA categories are explained Multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA) | College of Policing

With reference to Pillar 1 entitled Police Back on the Beat within the white paper entitled From local to national: a new model for policing, published on 27 January 2026, CP 1489, how many police officers constitute a team; and whether neighbourhood policing area teams would be assigned to single council wards.

The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee (NPG) commitments means every neighbourhood now has named, and contactable officers. The commitments were delivered in line with police forces’ existing team structures and neighbourhood areas based on local needs shaped by a range of factors, including geography, crime types, urban or rural context, and population size and density. The constitution of a neighbourhood policing team therefore varies by force.The White Paper confirms that we will work with police forces to define and implement neighbourhood areas to ensure they are of a size that makes sense locally and are recognisable to communities. Ultimately, we aim to have neighbourhood areas aligned with local council wards.

What are the current boundaries of operational independence for police forces.

Operational independence of the police is a longstanding fundamental principle of British policing. This ensures that Chief Constables maintain direction and control over their police force so that they can perform their role without fear or favour.There is no statutory definition of operational independence or its boundaries. However, the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 and the Policing Protocol Order 2023 set an expectation that Chief Constables, their officers, and staff exercise professional judgement free from improper political or operational interference.The Government’s recently published White Paper ‘From Local to National: A New Model for Policing’ announced plans to clarify the boundaries of operational independence to provide policing with direction and support to drive improvement where necessary.

With reference to Part 3 of her Department's White paper entitled From local to national: a new model for policing White Paper, published on 26 January 2026, how many (a) strategic authority mayors and (bi) council leaders will be placed on a Policing and Crime Board.

Policing and Crime Boards will be made up of upper-tier local authority leaders, and where they are present in the force area, Strategic Authority Mayors. This will ensure that the whole force area is represented by elected individuals. The exact number will be influenced by the number of upper-tier local authorities and Strategic Authorities in that area; we anticipate Policing and Crime Boards will be between 5 to 11 members.Policing and Crime Boards will also include two independent members, to bring unique skills and expertise. They will be required to be supported by a Policing and Crime Lead, who will exercise many of the functions of the Board on their behalf, ensuring that there is a dedicated lead for policing on a day-to-day basis.

With reference to Part 3 of her Department's White paper entitled From local to national: a new model for policing White Paper, published on 26 January 2026, what her planned timetable is for the review of the police funding formula.

The White Paper represents the most significant reforms to policing for nearly 200 years. The reforms to our policing system set out in the White Paper will have significant consequences for the way policing is funded in future.Changes to police governance, force mergers and the creation of the National Police Service require a new way of allocating funding between forces, aligned with these new structures. We will therefore review the police funding formula once the implementation of police reform is underway so that the new formula reflects the new police force structures.

Is he will publish the list of companies who have had (a) their license to sponsor skilled and temporary workers revoked and b) their license since reinstated in each of the last five years.

The register of licensed sponsors can be found on the Home Office website at: Register of licensed sponsors: workers - GOV.UKThis is a live document that shows which sponsors are currently fully active and the absence of a sponsor from the list signals that they are either suspended or revoked.There are currently no plans to publish named lists of revoked or reinstated sponsors, although we do publish data on action taken against sponsors which can be found at: Migration transparency data - GOV.UK

What impact assessments, internal modelling or economic analyses were produced to inform the policies set out in the White Paper “Restoring Control over the Immigration System”.

The Home Office has published the Technical Annex accompanying the White Paper (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/restoring-control-over-the-immigration-system-white-paper/restoring-control-over-the-immigration-system-technical-annex) and two subsequent Impact Assessments covering the Spring and Autumn Immigration Rules which implemented many of the policies set out in the White Paper (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/impact-assessments-covering-migration-policy)

What data her Department holds on outcomes of asylum appeals since March 2023.

Data on asylum appeals is published in table Asy_D06 and Asy_D07 of the ‘Asylum appeals lodged and determined detailed datasets’. The latest data relates to the year ending March 2023. Information on how to use the datasets can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbooks. Appeals data from April 2023 onwards is currently unavailable for publication due to ongoing work as immigration data transitions to a new caseworking system. Work is ongoing to make this information available, and it will be included in a future edition of the Immigration System Statistics Quarterly release. Please note that figures for immigration and asylum appeals at First-Tier Tribunal and subsequent stages are published by the Ministry of Justice as part of their Tribunal Statistics release. The latest data relates to January to March 2025.

Whether she plans to publish an impact assessment of the policies contained in the White Paper, Restoring Control over the Immigration System; and if she will set out a timetable for publication.

The Home Office has published the Technical Annex accompanying the White Paper (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/restoring-control-over-the-immigration-system-white-paper/restoring-control-over-the-immigration-system-technical-annex) and two subsequent Impact Assessments covering the Spring and Autumn Immigration Rules which implemented many of the policies set out in the White Paper (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/impact-assessments-covering-migration-policy)

What quality assurance data her Department holds on the outcomes of initial asylum decisions since 2023-24.

The Department publishes asylum decision quality data annually. Asylum decision quality data is published in the ADQ_01A table found in Migration transparency data - GOV.UK(opens in a new tab) of the Immigration and Protection data.The publication of 2024/25 data has been delayed because we are reviewing the methodology and thresholds for what is published in order to provide greater transparency across all decisions.

What number of people have been arrested as a result of mistaken identity due to Live Facial Recognition in the last year.

The Home Office is not aware of anyone being arrested as a result of mistaken identity, due to live facial recognition in the last year. Forces also publish information about their deployments on their website. More details on LFR deployments can be found in the Met Police Force report Live Facial Recognition Annual Report September 2025.Police use of live facial recognition is subject to safeguards that are designed to minimise the risk of misidentifications. These are set out in the Authorised Professional Practice guidance by the College of Policing found here: Live facial recognition | College of Policing]. They must also comply with data protection, equality, and human rights laws and are subject to the Information Commissioner’s and Equality and Human Rights Commission’s oversight.Following a possible live facial recognition alert, it is always a police officer on the ground who will decide what action, if any, to take. Facial recognition technology is not automated decision making – police officers and trained operators will always make the decisions about whether and how to use any suggested matches. This means that the technology is not the deciding factor on any arrest.In November we launched a 10 public consultation, ending on 12 February to help shape a new framework on biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies.

If she will update the Computer Misuse Act 1990 to give greater protection to cyber security professionals.

The Government is conducting an ongoing review of the Computer Misuse Act.As part of the review, we are reviewing how we can better support legitimate cybersecurity researchers so they can operate within a clear and supportive legal framework, while maintaining robust safeguards.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of its policies on the right to work for irregular migrants on levels of irregular migration.

The Home Office has developed new legislation to expand the scope of right to work checks to a wider range of businesses. This activity aims to prevent illegal working and to further reduce the opportunities for individuals in the UK illegally to gain employment. An impact assessment on this legislative change was published on 7 May 2025 and can be found here:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/681b86c93f1c73824ee3e561/Illegal_Working_-_Regulatory_Impact_Assessment_07052025.pdf

What data her Department collects on how migrant survivors of trafficking in the National Referral Mechanism entered the UK.

The Home Office does not publish data on the method of entry to the UK, where relevant, for individuals referred to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). However, there is published data on small boat arrivals who have been referred into the NRM, including a snapshot of the NRM decision outcome at the time of data extraction. This information is available in the irregular migration statistics data tables, which can be accessed at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/immigration-system-statistics-data-tables#irregular-migrationThis dataset only covers small boat arrivals and does not include other methods of entry. The published figures currently cover arrivals up to the end of September 2025.The Home Office does not publish age-related statistics for individuals supported under the Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract (MSVCC).

How many working-age people are on the Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract through the National Referral Mechanism.

The Home Office does not publish data on the method of entry to the UK, where relevant, for individuals referred to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). However, there is published data on small boat arrivals who have been referred into the NRM, including a snapshot of the NRM decision outcome at the time of data extraction. This information is available in the irregular migration statistics data tables, which can be accessed at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/immigration-system-statistics-data-tables#irregular-migrationThis dataset only covers small boat arrivals and does not include other methods of entry. The published figures currently cover arrivals up to the end of September 2025.The Home Office does not publish age-related statistics for individuals supported under the Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract (MSVCC).

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the report by Kalaayan’s entitled 12 Years of Modern Slavery, published on 14 June 2024.

The Home Office keeps all policies and immigration routes under review. Ministers regularly meet with internal and external stakeholders, including Kalaayan, to discuss a wide range of issues, including the Overseas Domestic Worker route.The Overseas Domestic Worker visa only grants permission for up to six months and cannot be extended. The Home Office publishes statistics relating to individuals who extend their stay here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/immigration-system-statistics-data-tables. The number of people extending their stay on the Domestic Worker in a Private Household visa is available from Table Exe_D01 of the Extension data tables (listed as “Overseas Domestic Worker”).

What estimate she has made of the number of domestic workers who renew their visas each year.

The Home Office keeps all policies and immigration routes under review. Ministers regularly meet with internal and external stakeholders, to discuss a wide range of issues, including the Overseas Domestic Worker route.The Overseas Domestic Worker visa only grants permission for up to six months and cannot be extended. The Home Office publishes statistics relating to individuals who extend their stay here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/immigration-system-statistics-data-tables. The number of people extending their stay on the Domestic Worker in a Private Household visa is available from Table Exe_D01 of the Extension data tables (listed as “Overseas Domestic Worker”).