Written questions by Coyle.

If her Department will hypothecate funding saved from hotel closures for legal aid to reduce the backlog of asylum claims.

As per the Spending Review the Government has committed to delivering savings of £1.1bn by 28/29 from exiting hotels and these savings have been factored into the Home Office budget. The Spending Review settlement includes transformation funding to accelerate the transformation of the asylum system and end the costly use of asylum hotels in this Parliament by clearing the asylum backlog, increasing appeals capacity and continuing to return those with no right to be here. This will deliver the Plan for Change commitment to restore order to the asylum system.

When her Department will announce the pilot areas for Respect Orders.

In February, we introduced new Respect Orders through our Crime and Policing Bill. The Bill recently completed Second Reading in the House of Lords, with Committee Stage expected to begin in November.Respect Orders will be tough behavioural orders aimed at tackling the most persistent adult anti-social behaviour offenders. Further details on next steps for the Respect Order will be provided in due course.

When her Department plans to launch its consultation on changes to indefinite leave to remain for Hong Kong British National (Overseas) visa holders; and how long her Department expects to run that consultation for.

The Government is committed to supporting members of the Hong Kong community who have relocated to the UK and those who may come here in future.I welcomed the opportunity to listen to the views of Members around these subjects in the recent 8th September Westminster Hall Debate on settlement.We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year, and the length of the consultation will be announced at that point. All will be welcome to participate. We will provide details of how the scheme will work after that consultation.We regularly engage with representatives of the Hong Kong diaspora in the UK on issues related to the BN(O) visa and will continue to do so.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of exempting people with experience of transnational suppression from proposals to increase the qualifying time for Indefinite Leave to Remain to ten years.

We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year. All will be welcome to participate. We will provide details of how the scheme will work after that consultation. Any attempt by any foreign power to intimidate, harass or harm individuals or communities in the UK will not be tolerated. Wherever we identify such threats, we will use all measures, including through our world-class intelligence services, to mitigate risk to individuals, and we will continue to ensure that robust systems are in place to detect, deter and counter such activity.

If the Government will work with (a) housing associations, (b) police authorities, (c) mayors, (d) local authorities and (e) other landlords to introduce fast track courts to tackle antisocial behaviour cases.

Tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB) and the harm it causes is a top priority for this Government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission. Every police force in England and Wales now has a dedicated lead officer for ASB, who will work with communities to develop a local ASB action plan.Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are strengthening the powers available to the police and other relevant agencies to tackle ASB quickly and effectively. ​We will crack down on those making neighbourhoods feel unsafe and unwelcoming by introducing the new Respect Order, which will carry tough sanctions and penalties for persistent adult offenders. Breaching a Respect Order will be a criminal offence, allowing police officers to immediately arrest offenders and disrupt ongoing ASB. We are also extending the maximum exclusion period for dispersal directions from 48 to 72 hours and enhancing the powers for the police to seize nuisance off-road bikes, and other vehicles which are being used in an anti-social manner, without having to first give a warning to the offender.There are currently no plans to introduce fast-track courts for ASB.This Government inherited a record and rising courts backlog. We have funded a record-high allocation of 110,000 Crown Court sitting days for this year to tackle the outstanding caseload, including in relation to ASB cases.

If she will ask the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation to publish guidance on what constitutes terrorism in the event of an attack by a hostile state.

To declare an attack as a terrorist incident is an operationally independent decision for the Police, taken in line with the definition of terrorism as set out in Section 1 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of updating the published criteria for exceptional circumstances in leave to remain decisions to include (a) exceptional community work and (b) acknowledgement or honours from the British Government recognising community contribution.

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and stakeholders.

How many Metropolitan Police employees are based outside London.

The Home Office does not hold the requested information. Details of the numbers of Metropolitan Police Services employees in different locations are a matter for the service itself.

How many people employed by the Metropolitan police in (a) counter terrorism and (b) other national responsibility areas are based outside London.

The Home Office does not hold the requested information. Details of the numbers of Metropolitan Police Services employees in different locations are a matter for the service itself.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the No Recourse to Public Funds policy on trends in the level of child poverty.

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of this Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity.The government is working to develop a strategy to drive forward short and long-term actions to reduce child poverty.The strategy will consider levers to alleviate poverty experienced by all children in the UK, regardless of immigration status, including children either subject to or impacted by the No Recourse to Public Funds policy.

If her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of updating guidance issued to police authorities to allow officers to knock suspected criminals off push bikes, in line with moped guidance.

The College of Policing has issued guidance on when a roads policing pursuit is justified and proportionate, the Home Office has no plans to issue its own updated guidance on roads policing pursuits involving push bikes.Any decision on when it is appropriate to use tactical contact is an operational matter for the police as outlined in the College of Policing Authorised Professional Practice on Police Pursuits.

If she will engage with (a) the British Healthcare Trades Association and (b) other organisations in the first aid industry on the (i) adequacy and (ii) accessibility of first aid provisions in the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill.

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill does not include a specific requirement relating to the provision of first aid or associated equipment.The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 already make requirements for employers, including provision of adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and personnel to ensure their employees receive immediate attention if they are injured or taken ill at work.The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) oversee compliance with the regulations. Where appropriate, the HSE engages with a range of stakeholders within the medical and first aid sector, including standard setters in the first aid industry, such as St John Ambulance and the British Red Cross.Wider work is ongoing to strengthen Healthcare Standards. The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) is working with partners to put in place updated guidance for health care at events. Once published the Event Healthcare Standard will be assessed in partnership with NHS England to determine whether this standard should become a statutory obligation.The Home Office will continue to engage with sectors within the scope of the legislation, to support them to understand their obligations.

If (a) she and (b) her Department will hold discussions with the British Healthcare Trades Association on the role of first aid kits in ensuring public safety in the context of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill.

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill does not include a specific requirement relating to the provision of first aid or associated equipment.The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 already make requirements for employers, including provision of adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and personnel to ensure their employees receive immediate attention if they are injured or taken ill at work.The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) oversee compliance with the regulations. Where appropriate, the HSE engages with a range of stakeholders within the medical and first aid sector, including standard setters in the first aid industry, such as St John Ambulance and the British Red Cross.Wider work is ongoing to strengthen Healthcare Standards. The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) is working with partners to put in place updated guidance for health care at events. Once published the Event Healthcare Standard will be assessed in partnership with NHS England to determine whether this standard should become a statutory obligation.The Home Office will continue to engage with sectors within the scope of the legislation, to support them to understand their obligations.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of access to digital gates at Border Control for British National (Overseas) passport holders; and what steps she is taking to ensure equitable treatment for those passport holders.

e-Passport Gates (eGates) continue to provide a safe, secure and efficient way for millions of British and Irish citizens, and nationals of the EU/EEA, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and the USA to enter the UK each year.We keep eGate eligibility under regular review to ensure we are maintaining border security and effectively managing passenger flow through the UK border. The Government is committed to improving our border security and the passenger experience by continuing to look at options to increase the usage of eGates by those currently eligible and explore innovative technologies to increase the use of automation at the UK border.

If she will bring forward legislative proposals to provide police forces with the power to require the removal of (a) dangerous items and (b) content (i) online and (ii) for sale online.

The Online Safety Act requires platforms to take action to prevent the proliferation of illegal content online and ensure that their services are not used for offending. This means they will need to proactively mitigate the risk that their services are used for illegal activity or to share illegal content, and to design their services to mitigate the risk of this occurring.Ofcom has now laid the first edition of the Illegal Harms Codes in Parliament, setting out what platforms need to do to comply with the Online Safety Act. These will come into force, subject to Parliamentary approval, on the 17th of March 2025. Firms do not need to wait for these duties to come into effect and can act now.Ofcom has a tough suite of enforcement powers to use against companies who fail to fulfil their duties. This includes fines of up to £18 million or 10 per cent of qualifying annual global turnover (whichever is greater).The Home Secretary has also outlined measures to prevent the online sale of knives and other weapons to children to reduce knife crime. We have already banned deadly zombie-style knives and machetes and are fast progressing with banning Ninja swords. We have also consulted on introducing personal liability measures on senior executives of online platforms and marketplaces who fail to take action to remove illegal content related to knives and offensive weapons off their platforms and marketplaces. The consultation closed on 11 December 2024 and we are currently analysing the responses. The Home Secretary has also announced that the Government intends to strengthen age verification controls and checks for all online sellers of knives at the point of purchase and on delivery.

If she will make a comparative assessment of the potential merits of a charging structure for citizenship applications based on recovering the full costs for processing them rather than a full-profit model.

Fees for immigration and nationality applications are kept under review and are set taking account of the charging powers provided by Section 68(9) of the Immigration Act 2014, which include the ability to set fees based on: the cost of processing the application, the benefits and entitlements provided by a successful application and the wider cost of the Migration and Borders system. Full details of which can be reviewed via the following link: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2014/22/section/68. The Home Office does not make a profit from fees and any income from fees set above the cost of processing are utilised for the purpose of running the Migration and Borders system. Taking this approach helps to meet the costs of maintaining an effective Migration and Borders system which benefits everyone and reduces reliance on taxpayer funding. The Home Office offers fee exemptions and waivers for citizenship applications in limited circumstances. These circumstances relate to righting historical anomalies in nationality law and, in relation to children who are applying to register as a British citizen, there is a fee exception for those who are in local authority care and a fee waiver based on affordability grounds, which were introduced on 16th June 2022.Please find a previously published Equality Impact Assessment which includes considerations in respect of citizenship fees: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2023/1004/pdfs/uksiod_20231004_en_001.pdf.

What her planned timetable is for implementing Respect Orders; and when decisions will be taken on pilot areas.

Tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB) is a top priority for this Government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission.The Government recently announced Respect Orders which will be introduced through the Crime and Policing Bill. Respect Orders can be applied for by the police and local councils and are issued by the courts. They will enable courts to place wide-ranging restrictions on the behaviour of the most persistent and disruptive ASB offenders.Respect Orders will be piloted prior to national rollout to make sure they are as effective as possible. Consideration will be given to where the pilots will take place in due course.

If she will make an estimate of the savings to (a) local councils and (b) other public bodies of ending No Recourse to Public Funds restrictions on parents of dependent children.

It is a well-established principle that migrants coming to the UK should be able to maintain and support themselves and their families without creating a burden on the welfare system. That is the purpose of the No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) condition and there are no plans to remove that condition.Some temporary migrants are granted access to public funds, and in recognition of the fact that some individuals may need support despite being subject to an NRPF condition, safeguards exist.Local authorities may also provide basic safety net support, regardless of immigration status, if it is established either that there is a risk to the wellbeing of a child or there is a genuine care need that does not arise solely from destitution, for example, where a person has community care needs or serious health problems.  Support provided to a child by local authorities is not dependent on the immigration status of the child or their parent(s).

When her Department last reviewed the level of fees for citizenship applications.

Fees for immigration and nationality applications are kept under regular review.The Home Office this week announced its intention to increase the fee to naturalise as a British Citizen to £1,605, and £1,070 for British Overseas Territories citizens, subject to Parliamentary approval.

What assessment her Department has made on the potential impact of introducing electronic travel authorisations on British National (overseas) passport holders.

Electronic travel authorisations (ETAs) have been introduced to enhance our ability to screen travellers upstream and stop those who pose a threat from travelling to the UK.ETAs were expanded to BN(O) passport holders on 27 November 2024 and are currently a requirement for this population when travelling to the UK. But this aspect of the policy remains under review and we will update the House on any changes in due course.