Written questions by Timothy.

What formal definition her Department uses for frontline policing roles.

Frontline policing is comprised of visible operational frontline roles and non-visible frontline roles, each of which contains specific functions. Further information on the functions included under visible operational frontline and non-visible frontline, including the definitions of each function can be found in Table F4 of the data tables accompanying the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ publication here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67d965ab594182179fe0877f/police-workforce-mar24-tables-240724.ods.In 2015 the Home Office adopted the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy’s (CIPFA) Police Objective Analysis (POA) framework. The POA framework does not include a specific function for ‘community policing’ but does include the function ‘Neighbourhood Policing’.Since 2015, published statistics on the neighbourhood policing workforce have come with a caveat from the Home Office that the data was not considered to be robust due to the conflation of figures relating to neighbourhood officers and local and emergency response teams.As a result of these concerns, in 2025 the Home Office carried out a data validation exercise, asking all police forces to verify the previously published data for police employees in the 1a Neighbourhood Policing category. This exercise showed that data reported under the previous government were inaccurate and did not reflect the true number of neighbourhood officers.Subsequently the Home Office revised previously published neighbourhood policing data here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/provisional-revision-to-neighbourhood-policing-data-at-31-march-2024. The Home Office has issued guidance to police forces on the categorisation of 1a Neighbourhood Policing to ensure that those working in neighbourhood policing are being recorded correctly, particularly on the distinction between 1b Incident Response Management and 1a Neighbourhood Policing, as well as classroom-based student officers.

What formal definition her Department uses for community policing roles.

Frontline policing is comprised of visible operational frontline roles and non-visible frontline roles, each of which contains specific functions. Further information on the functions included under visible operational frontline and non-visible frontline, including the definitions of each function can be found in Table F4 of the data tables accompanying the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ publication here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67d965ab594182179fe0877f/police-workforce-mar24-tables-240724.ods.In 2015 the Home Office adopted the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy’s (CIPFA) Police Objective Analysis (POA) framework. The POA framework does not include a specific function for ‘community policing’ but does include the function ‘Neighbourhood Policing’.Since 2015, published statistics on the neighbourhood policing workforce have come with a caveat from the Home Office that the data was not considered to be robust due to the conflation of figures relating to neighbourhood officers and local and emergency response teams.As a result of these concerns, in 2025 the Home Office carried out a data validation exercise, asking all police forces to verify the previously published data for police employees in the 1a Neighbourhood Policing category. This exercise showed that data reported under the previous government were inaccurate and did not reflect the true number of neighbourhood officers.Subsequently the Home Office revised previously published neighbourhood policing data here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/provisional-revision-to-neighbourhood-policing-data-at-31-march-2024. The Home Office has issued guidance to police forces on the categorisation of 1a Neighbourhood Policing to ensure that those working in neighbourhood policing are being recorded correctly, particularly on the distinction between 1b Incident Response Management and 1a Neighbourhood Policing, as well as classroom-based student officers.

How many visas were issued for workers in the (a) wind and (b) solar industry in each year since 2015.

Available data relating to work visas is routinely published in the Immigration system statistics release.

By which date she will (a) appoint a Chair and (b) agree a Terms of Reference for the national inquiry into grooming gangs.

Further details will be announced in due course.

Whether her Department collects data on the number of people that have made more than one attempt to illegally enter the UK by crossing the English Channel in each year since 2020.

No robust or comprehensive data is held in this category, given that many attempts to cross the Channel illegally will fail before an individual has been identified by the UK authorities.

How many different suppliers there are for ICT systems used across police forces in England and Wales.

The Home Office does not centrally collect all of the information requested. Obtaining and verifying this information for the purposes of answering these questions could only be done at disproportionate cost.However, the Hon Member may be interested to read the Home Secretary's speech to the National Police Chiefs' Council and Association of Police and Crime Commissioners' annual conference on 19 November 2024, where she set out her vision on police reform and efficiency, including the potential savings to be achieved through greater collaboration on IT contracts. https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/home-secretarys-vision-for-police-reform

Which companies supplied police ICT systems in each year since 2010; and what the value of contracts awarded to those companies was.

The Home Office does not centrally collect all of the information requested. Obtaining and verifying this information for the purposes of answering these questions could only be done at disproportionate cost.However, the Hon Member may be interested to read the Home Secretary's speech to the National Police Chiefs' Council and Association of Police and Crime Commissioners' annual conference on 19 November 2024, where she set out her vision on police reform and efficiency, including the potential savings to be achieved through greater collaboration on IT contracts. https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/home-secretarys-vision-for-police-reform

How many ICT systems are used across police forces in England and Wales.

The Home Office does not centrally collect all of the information requested. Obtaining and verifying this information for the purposes of answering these questions could only be done at disproportionate cost.However, the Hon Member may be interested to read the Home Secretary's speech to the National Police Chiefs' Council and Association of Police and Crime Commissioners' annual conference on 19 November 2024, where she set out her vision on police reform and efficiency, including the potential savings to be achieved through greater collaboration on IT contracts. https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/home-secretarys-vision-for-police-reform

Which companies supply police ICT systems; and how many (a) contracts have been awarded to and (b) systems are managed by each company.

The Home Office does not centrally collect all of the information requested. Obtaining and verifying this information for the purposes of answering these questions could only be done at disproportionate cost.However, the Hon Member may be interested to read the Home Secretary's speech to the National Police Chiefs' Council and Association of Police and Crime Commissioners' annual conference on 19 November 2024, where she set out her vision on police reform and efficiency, including the potential savings to be achieved through greater collaboration on IT contracts. https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/home-secretarys-vision-for-police-reform

How many prosecutions have been carried out as a result of arrests made by the Grooming Gangs Taskforce.

The Child Sexual Exploitation (or 'Grooming Gangs') Police Taskforce provides expert, on the ground support for local forces investigating child sexual abuse and exploitation, with a particular focus on complex and organised child sexual exploitation, including grooming gangs. Responsibility for those investigations remains with the relevant local police force, but the Taskforce continues to advise the relevant police force on how to manage any specific lines of investigation appropriately.The Taskforce supported forces in making 807 arrests for group-based child sexual exploitation in 2024. The data held centrally does not allow individual cases to be tracked through the criminal justice system.Further information on the Taskforce is available online at: https://www.hydrantprogramme.co.uk/cse-taskforce.

Whether the Grooming Gangs Taskforce will investigate (a) police officers, (b) local councillors, (c) council officials and (d) social workers.

The Child Sexual Exploitation (or 'Grooming Gangs') Police Taskforce provides expert, on the ground support for local forces investigating child sexual abuse and exploitation, with a particular focus on complex and organised child sexual exploitation, including grooming gangs. Responsibility for those investigations remains with the relevant local police force, but the Taskforce continues to advise the relevant police force on how to manage any specific lines of investigation appropriately.The Taskforce supported forces in making 807 arrests for group-based child sexual exploitation in 2024. The data held centrally does not allow individual cases to be tracked through the criminal justice system.Further information on the Taskforce is available online at: https://www.hydrantprogramme.co.uk/cse-taskforce.

How many people have been (a) investigated, (b) arrested and (c) charged following work by the Grooming Gangs Taskforce by (i) category of offence, (ii) police officers, (iii) local councillors, (iv) council officials and (v) social workers.

The Child Sexual Exploitation (or 'Grooming Gangs') Police Taskforce provides expert, on the ground support for local forces investigating child sexual abuse and exploitation, with a particular focus on complex and organised child sexual exploitation, including grooming gangs. Responsibility for those investigations remains with the relevant local police force, but the Taskforce continues to advise the relevant police force on how to manage any specific lines of investigation appropriately.The Taskforce supported forces in making 807 arrests for group-based child sexual exploitation in 2024. The data held centrally does not allow individual cases to be tracked through the criminal justice system.Further information on the Taskforce is available online at: https://www.hydrantprogramme.co.uk/cse-taskforce.

How much her Department has spent on contingency accommodation for (a) asylum seekers, (b) people granted asylum and (c) people in the country illegally in each year since 2020.

The Home Office publishes information on asylum expenditure in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts at Home Office annual report and accounts: 2023 to 2024 - GOV.UK.

How many (a) police officers, (b) local councillors, (c) council officials and (d) social workers have been (i) investigated, (ii) arrested, and (iii) charged in connection to crimes committed by grooming gangs.

The Child Sexual Exploitation (or 'Grooming Gangs') Police Taskforce provides expert, on the ground support for local forces investigating child sexual abuse and exploitation, with a particular focus on complex and organised child sexual exploitation, including grooming gangs. Responsibility for those investigations remains with the relevant local police force, but the Taskforce continues to advise the relevant police force on how to manage any specific lines of investigation appropriately.The Taskforce supported forces in making 807 arrests for group-based child sexual exploitation in 2024. The data held centrally does not allow individual cases to be tracked through the criminal justice system.Further information on the Taskforce is available online at: https://www.hydrantprogramme.co.uk/cse-taskforce.

If she will publish the terms of reference for the Grooming Gangs Taskforce.

The Child Sexual Exploitation (or 'Grooming Gangs') Police Taskforce provides expert, on the ground support for local forces investigating child sexual abuse and exploitation, with a particular focus on complex and organised child sexual exploitation, including grooming gangs. Responsibility for those investigations remains with the relevant local police force, but the Taskforce continues to advise the relevant police force on how to manage any specific lines of investigation appropriately.The Taskforce supported forces in making 807 arrests for group-based child sexual exploitation in 2024. The data held centrally does not allow individual cases to be tracked through the criminal justice system.Further information on the Taskforce is available online at: https://www.hydrantprogramme.co.uk/cse-taskforce.

Whether her Department plans to increase funding for asylum dispersal to (a) West Suffolk District Council, and (b) other local authorities.

Current accommodation funding arrangements are published on GOV.UK: Asylum Dispersal Grant: funding instruction - GOV.UK.

What estimate her Department has made of the number of asylum seekers that will be dispersed in (a) West Suffolk District Council and (b) other local authorities in the next twelve months.

The Home Office works with local authorities and other stakeholders across the country to ensure that it can fulfil its statutory obligations, and meet the Government’s commitment to reduce the overall costs of asylum accommodation, including ending the use of hotels over time.The Home Office regularly publishes statistics on the numbers of asylum seekers in receipt of support nationally, and further broken down by region and local authority. These data sets can be found on GOV.UK: (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67bc51acd157fd4b79addd4f/support-local-authority-datasets-dec-2024.xlsx).

Whether the scope of contingency accommodation for asylum dispersal has been changed since 5 July 2024.

The Home Office continues to work with a range of stakeholders to meet our statutory obligations, while also delivering our commitments to reduce overall asylum accommodation costs, and end the use of hotels over time.

What discussions her department has had with (a) Serco and (b) other contract providers on the scope of contingency accommodation for asylum dispersal.

The Home Office continues to work with a range of stakeholders to meet our statutory obligations, while also delivering our commitments to reduce overall asylum accommodation costs, and end the use of hotels over time.

What discussions her Department has had with (a) West Suffolk District Council and (b) other local authorities on an increase in the number of asylum seekers dispersed.

The Home Office works with local authorities and other stakeholders across the country to ensure that it can fulfil its statutory obligations, and meet the Government’s commitment to reduce the overall costs of asylum accommodation, including ending the use of hotels over time.The Home Office regularly publishes statistics on the numbers of asylum seekers in receipt of support nationally, and further broken down by region and local authority. These data sets can be found on GOV.UK: (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67bc51acd157fd4b79addd4f/support-local-authority-datasets-dec-2024.xlsx).