Written questions by Coyle.

How many assessments for destitution her Department has made for people with no recourse to public funds in the last six months.

The Home Office publishes statistics, as part of the department’s migration transparency data, setting out the number of Change of Conditions applications made by those seeking to have their No Recourse to Public Funds condition lifted. This data, for the period up until June 2024, can be found in tab CoC_05 of the immigration and protection data: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-and-protection-data-q2-2024. The data includes statistics for other routes, including destitution consideration for fee waiver applications. Whilst the data can be filtered to provide a breakdown of age group; nationality; and gender it cannot be filtered in a way so as to determine how many applications were granted on the basis of destitution, and that information could only be obtained for the purposes of this question at a disproportionate cost.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of imposing sanctions on travel to and from the UK for people responsible for the disputed 2023 election results in Sierra Leone.

The FCDO regularly reviews its sanctions policy and does not comment on any possible future sanctions designations. Exclusion orders are used to prevent a person from entering the UK. The Home Office lead on the policy of exclusion.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the criteria for maintaining diplomatic relations with other states include (a) the strength of democratic institutions and (b) human rights.

The UK is committed to promoting and protecting democratic institutions and human rights around the world. The decision to maintain or suspend diplomatic relations is made on a case-by-case basis.

Food and Rural Affairs, when the Animal Welfare Committee is expected to publish its review on the responsible sourcing of fur.

I refer the Honourable Member to the reply I gave to the Honourable Member for Romford for PQ 4519 on 16 September 2024.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to monitor the effectiveness of the use of UK aid in Sierra Leone.

UK aid is guided by UK Government priorities and we work closely with the Government of Sierra Leone to ensure effective implementation of Sierra Leone's own national development plans. The UK does not provide budget support to the Government of Sierra Leone.All UK development funding is subject to rigorous procurement protocols, due diligence and strong transparency standards. Our programmes are regularly and robustly monitored. The FCDO also works closely with the Independent Commission for Aid Impact to apply the highest standards to our aid spend. These measures ensure the effectiveness of UK aid in Sierra Leone throughout design, delivery and evaluation stages.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking with international counterparts to ensure that future elections in Sierra Leone will be free and fair.

In his first conversation with Sierra Leone's Foreign Minister, Timothy Kabba, Lord Collins, Minister for Africa, highlighted the importance of implementing the Agreement for National Unity and recommendations of the Cross-Party Committee on Electoral Systems and Management Bodies in a bipartisan way. The UK remains committed to supporting a democratic Sierra Leone, and in this vein the British High Commission is currently exploring options to bolster support to governance processes that underpin the 2023-28 electoral cycle, in consultation with our diplomatic partners in Sierra Leone.

How many assessments for destitution her Department made for people subject to no recourse to public funds conditions in 2023.

We are unable to provide this information as it is not routinely published, and it can only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.When an individual goes through the process of assessment for Change of Conditions, various No Recourse to Public Funds conditions are checked, with ‘destitution’ being one of these conditions.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department will distinguish between (a) relocation, (b) estate and (c) property agents within the housing sector in the context of the draft Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill.

The Government is committed to ensuring that those living in the rented and leasehold sectors are protected from abuse and poor service at the hands of unscrupulous property agents. The Government will set out its position on the regulation of letting, managing and estate agents in due course.The Government has also made clear it intends to publish draft legislation on leasehold and commonhold reform in this session so that it may be subject to broad consultation and additional parliamentary scrutiny. We will announce further details in due course.

How many assessments for destitution her Department has made for people subject to No Recourse to Public Funds conditions in each of the last five years.

We are unable to provide this information as it is not routinely published, and it can only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.When an individual goes through the process of assessment for Change of Conditions, various No Recourse to Public Funds conditions are checked, with ‘destitution’ being one of these conditions.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the draft Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill on relocation agents.

The Government is committed to ensuring that those living in the rented and leasehold sectors are protected from abuse and poor service at the hands of unscrupulous property agents. The Government will set out its position on the regulation of letting, managing and estate agents in due course.The Government has also made clear it intends to publish draft legislation on leasehold and commonhold reform in this session so that it may be subject to broad consultation and additional parliamentary scrutiny. We will announce further details in due course.

If she will pause action related to the IR35 loan charge while the newly announced review is underway.

IR35 rules are distinct from the Loan Charge.The Government has now announced a further independent review of the Loan Charge to help bring the matter to a close for those affected whilst ensuring fairness for all taxpayers. The Government will provide further details on the review in due course.

Whether she plans to provide additional funding to the Security Industry Authority following the passage of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill.

The regulator function of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill will be delivered as a new function of the Security Industry Authority and will be funded by the Home Office.The Security Industry Authority has an existing licence fee-funded arrangement that will not be used to deliver its functions under this Bill.Work is ongoing to design the new regulatory regime and to finalise costs.

Innovation and Technology, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of powers to remove (a) false, (b) inciting and (c) otherwise harmful content from online platforms.

The Online Safety Act gives online platforms new duties to put in place systems and processes to remove illegal content on their services. This includes illegal false communications and content which incites hatred. Platforms will also need to put in place systems and processes to protect children from accessing harmful and age-inappropriate content.Ofcom is the regulator for this new regime, and it will have extensive enforcement powers to take action where companies do not comply with their new duties. The swift and effective implementation of the Act is a government priority, and we continue to keep online safety measures under review.

If she will ensure that official correspondence from her Department to people seeking to establish biological family relationships in immigration applications makes clear that providing DNA evidence is the best way of establishing parenthood.

The Home Office has no statutory power to require DNA evidence as part of an immigration application, but applicants are free to volunteer DNA evidence. Where applicants choose not to provide DNA evidence, no negative inference can be drawn from that and used in the decision-making process.Where there is insufficient evidence of a biological relationship, applicants are given the opportunity to provide further supporting evidence. This can include DNA evidence, a declaration of parentage by the Family or High Court, or any other relevant evidence of the existence of the claimed biological relationship.As the provision of DNA evidence is voluntary, officials must not send out letters only inviting applicants to offer DNA evidence and are unable to advise applicants on the relative merits of the evidence they may choose to provide.The publicly available guidance is shown on gov.uk: DNA Policy Guidance.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with his international partners to help support (a) the Egyptian Red Crescent and (b) other aid organisations to increase the amount of humanitarian assistance in Gaza.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza is intolerable. The UK continues to provide significant funding to partners to support those most in need, including £5.5m in additional funding for UK-Med to run field hospitals in Gaza, and an additional £6m for UNICEF to provide lifesaving aid to vulnerable families in Gaza. In October and November 2023, we provided support to the Egyptian Red Crescent (ERCS) to strengthen their operations to get aid into Gaza. This included providing enabling equipment to support the international response at Al-Arish including mobile storage units, forklift trucks, pallet trucks and lighting generators. We continue to play a leading role in alleviating the suffering in Gaza, including by matching up to £10 million of public donations to the Disasters Emergency Committee's Middle East humanitarian appeal.

Whether her Department made an assessment of the potential merits of including unticketed events in the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill.

An event must satisfy several criteria to be in scope of the Bill. One of these criteria is that the event must have employees, or other individuals involved in the event, checking that attendees have paid to attend the event, have an invitation granting access, or have a pass that grants access (which might include a free ticket).Whilst this provision applies to paid-for events, this provision will also encompass free events, if there is a check that attendees satisfy a condition of entry as specified above.We consider the ‘express permission’ requirement provides an appropriate basis to capture events where there is the resource and control to consider and take forward security requirements.

Whether her Department made an assessment of the potential merits of including outdoor events in the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill.

The Bill has provided for events to be in scope where it is considered that there is an appropriate level of control and that mitigating measures for protective security and preparedness can reasonably be put in place.For an event to be in scope of the bill, it must:take place in a building, on other land or at a combination of the two (unless the location already falls within the enhanced tier);be accessible to members of the public;have individuals in place at the event to take payment from members of the public or to check their tickets or passes; andbe reasonably expected to be attended by 800 or more individuals at some point during the event.Outdoor events that satisfy the above criteria will fall within scope of the Bill. Well established processes already exist to help those responsible for large open events to consider threats and develop appropriate protection and preparedness arrangements. This includes processes, led by the police, to consider security for large open events and, where appropriate, the deployment of appropriate measures and procedures working with event organisers.

Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of Ofcom in helping tackle the dissemination of online conspiracy theories.

The Online Safety Act will require platforms to tackle false information where it is illegal or harmful to children. The Act will also hold Category 1 platforms to account over the enforcement of their terms of service, including terms relating to conspiracy theories. As the regulator, Ofcom will ensure companies comply with these duties. Section 178 of the Act requires the Secretary of State to carry out a review of the effectiveness of the regulatory framework and to lay a report in parliament. It is important to allow time for measures to be fully implemented before carrying out any review.

Media and Sport, if she will take steps to remove the documentary Silenced from online distribution.

The removal of online content is not within my department’s powers.I can confirm that this film has not been classified by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC).It is for the courts to determine whether this content is in contempt of court and for the online sites hosting the content to remove content where it breaches their own standards or where instructed.A person may be liable for contempt of court where they know of an injunction and do anything to help or permit the person to whom it applies to breach its terms. It is for the Attorney General to consider each particular case and determine the appropriate course of action. Bringing proceedings for contempt of court is a Law Officer function which is exercised independently of the government.

Whether she plans to provide access to training for premises covered by the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill.

As a result of pre-legislative scrutiny, and extensive consultation in relation to proposals for the standard tier, the Government made significant changes to the Bill. This was to ensure public protection outcomes can be achieved whilst avoiding undue burdens on businesses and other organisations. This includes raising the standard tier threshold from 100 to 200.Lowering the minimum threshold for the standard tier back to 100 would result in significant changes to the coverage of the Bill and increased costs to business. Government believes a threshold of 200 achieves an appropriate balance between protecting the public from the risk of physical harm and imposing burden on business, whilst continuing to deliver the Bill’s overall aims of increasing protective security and organisational preparedness across the UK.We will continue to liaise with all relevant stakeholders as the Bill progresses.