Written questions by Wilkinson.

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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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)

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 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 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”).

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 meetings she has had with expert stakeholders on reviewing the Overseas Domestic Worker visa.

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”).

What assessment her Department has made of the police's ability to meet current levels of demand from crime.

The Government is committed to giving the police the resources it needs to tackle crime. In 2025-26, the police funding settlement provided £19.6bn of funding for the policing system, an increase of £1.2bn compared to 24-25. At the spending review the chancellor announced a real terms increase in police funding.In addition, a Police Reform White Paper is being developed in partnership with policing. This is a comprehensive package of reform to policing in England and Wales that will strip out duplication and waste and ensure policing can keep up with the fast-changing nature of crime. This will be published early 2026.

Whether future police force boundaries will be aligned with regional mayoral boundaries.

The Government has committed in its English Devolution White Paper to transfer policing functions to Mayors of Strategic Authorities wherever boundaries of the mayoral and policing areas align, by default, subject to Royal Assent to provisions in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill.This Government will abolish PCCs across England and Wales at the end of their term in 2028 and police governance functions will be transferred to mayors wherever possible, or to elected council leaders where it is not.The Home Secretary has an ambitious police reform agenda, which will include measures to drive down waste and cut bureaucracy so that the police can focus on issues that matter to the public and cut crime in our communities. Further detail will be set out in the Police Reform White Paper, which is due to be published in early 2026.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure the number of serving police officers taking their own lives is recorded.

The Home Office does not currently collect information centrally on the number of police officer suicides. The Office for National Statistics publishes data on the number of suicides registered in England and Wales by occupation. The latest available data can be found here: Suicide by occupation in England and Wales: 2023 and 2024, provisional - Office for National StatisticsThis Government has been clear that the health and wellbeing of our police workforce is a priority, and we are committed to making improvements in wellbeing support for officers and staff. This includes exploring options to improve the current monitoring and data recording processes for police officer suicides.The National Police Wellbeing Service has created a national suicide action plan which aims to educate and support the workforce, reduce stress and improve data recording. In addition, the Service has put in place a 24/7 Mental Health Crisis Support Line to provide urgent support for our police when they need it the most.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of trends in the level of migration of British nationals from the UK on the economy.

Estimates of net migration patterns of British Citizens are made by ONS. The impact on the economy will depend on characteristics of those leaving. Further information on those leaving can be found: Long-term international immigration, emigration and net migration flows, provisional - Office for National Statistics.In their November 2025 release, ONS used a new method for estimating British nationals migration, affecting data from the year ending June 2021 onwards. This involved moving away from the International Passenger Survey (IPS) to a new method based on the Department for Work and Pension's (DWP's) Registration and Population Interaction Database (RAPID). This means the most recent data is not comparable with estimated before June 2021. Further information can be found in the ONS report: Improving long-term international migration statistics, updating our methods and estimates - Office for National Statistics.