Written questions by Timothy.

How many people of what (a) nationality and (b) ethnicity were found guilty of (i) murder and (ii) manslaughter in each year since 2010.

Data on those convicted of murder or manslaughter, up to 30 June 2024, can be found in the principle offence proceedings and ‘Outcomes by Offence’ data tool, available at: Outcomes by Offence data tool: June 2024. In the 'Outcomes by Offences' document, select the `Overall volumes’ page, then select the offence filter. Select '1 Murder' and then separately, '4.1 Manslaughter'. The number of convictions for murder or manslaughter for each year can be found in the `Convicted’ row. Data on ethnicity can also be viewed using the 'ethnicity' filter. Data on nationality is not collated by the Ministry of Justice. To do so could only be achieved at disproportionate cost.

What assessment (a) his Department and (b) its arms-length bodies has made of the potential impact of grid-scale battery energy storage solution systems on the safety of nearby residential units.

I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave to UIN 24989.

With reference to the press release entitled Government reaffirms commitment to Free Speech in universities, published by her Department on 15 January 2025, what the terms of reference are for the (a) review of the overseas transparency provisions of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 and (b) assessment of the existing approaches to managing foreign interference.

This government is committed to ensuring our world leading universities remain free from foreign interference. Providers should expect the Office for Students (OfS) to take regulatory action if they allow foreign governments to interfere in free speech or academic freedom. To support this, the OfS can already request information from providers about overseas arrangements, including financial transactions, if they are relevant to a potential breach. The new complaints scheme being implemented as part of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act will also offer a new focused route for concerns to be raised.There are a range of wider measures and guidance for the sector to support secure international collaboration. This includes the Academic Technology Approval Scheme, advice provided by the Research Collaboration Advisory Team based within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and powers in the National Security and Investment Act 2021 to scrutinise and intervene in business transactions. Further guidance includes that published by the National Protective Security Authority and Universities UK on managing the security-related risks of internationalisation.The government is now working at pace on the implementation of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, which will apply to universities across the UK and will require registration of foreign-directed activity involving specific governments and entities where it is necessary to protect the safety or interests of the UK. The scheme is expected to commence in summer 2025.Any additional regulatory ask on providers needs to add value to these existing and upcoming protections and not duplicate reporting requirements. This is why the government is conducting an internal review, informed by engagement with the regulator, sector, academics impacted by foreign interference and international partners, to assess existing approaches to managing the risk of foreign interference and what more support they might need. The department will keep open options around the commencement of the overseas funding measures as we work carefully on this.

What the (a) start and (b) end dates are of all lease agreements held by NHS ambulance trusts for (i) ambulances and (ii) other vehicles.

The information requested is not held centrally.

What estimate he has made of the staff time taken in ambulance trusts to meet the target for the NHS to reach net zero by 2040, broken down by (a) FTE positions and (b) salary.

The information requested is not held centrally. No estimate has been made.

How many ambulances were (a) petrol, (b), diesel, (c) hydrogen, (d) hybrid, (e) plug-in hybrid and (f) fully electric in (i) England, (ii) East of England and (iii) Suffolk in each of the last 10 years.

The attached tables show the number of double-crewed ambulances and other emergency vehicles for England and the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust by fuel type, from 2019/20 to 2023/24. Data is only held for the years included in the tables attached, and information is not available for the Suffolk geographical area.

How many electric vehicle charging points were available at ambulance stations in (a) England, (b) the East of England and (c) Suffolk in each year between 2014 and 2024.

NHS England has collected this data since 2017 through the Estates Return Information Collection (ERIC) at a national and regional level, for the East of England National Health Service region, although it does not separate the data for Suffolk. The most recent data for 2023/24 shows that there are 572 national electric vehicle (EV) chargers on all ambulance sites, 22 of which are in the East of England. The following table shows the number of EV chargers at a national level and for the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust, broken down by year, from 2017/18 to 2023/24:YearNational EV chargersEast of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust EV chargers2017/183402018/197742019/20116162020/21164162021/22246152022/23350222023/2457222Source: data is from the Estates Returns Information Collection, published by NHS England, and available at the following link: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/estates-returns-information-collectionNotes: EV charging points have been provided for all ambulance sites, and these will include ambulance stations, make ready hubs, and other sites;the data for England includes the total number of EV charging points available on site, including those for use by the trust's own internal fleet and available for patients, visitors, and staff, irrespective of any fees charged;it is not possible to provide accurate data for Suffolk as several ambulance stations under 1,000 meters squared Gross Internal Area will be aggregated and reported as one line, under Other Reportable Sites, so will not have a location; andsince the pilot year of reporting in 2017, the definitions and reporting consistency has varied due to feedback received, and some of the national data reported in ERIC has been adjusted by NHS England to account for reporting errors and missing returns between 2017/18 and 2021/22.

If he will publish a list of the (a) name and (b) postcode of all ambulance depots in (i) England, (ii) East of England and (iii) Suffolk; and how many (A) ambulances and (B) other vehicles are based at each depot.

A table showing the names, postcodes, and operating foundation trusts of all ambulance depots in England, including the East of England and Suffolk, is attached. Information on the number of vehicles at each depot is not held centrally.

How many vehicles other than ambulances used by the NHS were (a) petrol, (b), diesel, (c) hydrogen, (d) hybrid, (e) plug-in hybrid and (f) fully electric in (i) England, (ii) East of England and (iii) Suffolk in each of the last 10 years.

The information requested is not held centrally.

How many (a) electric ambulances and (b) other electric vehicles were there in the ambulance service fleet for (i) England, (ii) the East and (iii) Suffolk in each year between 2014 and 2024.

The following two tables show the number of electric double-crewed ambulances and other emergency vehicles for England and the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust, respectively, from 2019/20 to 2023/24:EnglandYearNumberDouble-crewed ambulance2019/2002021/2212022/2312023/242Other emergency fleet2019/2012021/22312022/23802023/24150 East of England Ambulance TrustYearNumberDouble-crewed ambulance2019/2002021/2202022/2302023/240Other emergency vehicle2019/2002021/2202022/2302023/242 Notes: there will be some variation in numbers when comparing between years due to different levels of data quality and completeness in the data collections.Data is only held for the years included in the tables, and information is not available for the Suffolk geographical area.

What discussions his Department is having with Distribution Network Operators to accelerate upgrades to substations near ambulance stations.

The Government regularly engages with the Distribution Network Operators (DNOs), who are responsible for maintaining and upgrading electrical infrastructure, including substations. Ofgem, the regulator, ensures that DNOs build and operate this infrastructure efficiently. The current electricity distribution price control has allowed £22.2bn for upfront investment in low voltage networks, including £3.1bn for network upgrades to support low-carbon technologies, such as electric vehicle charging. Furthermore, the Government will consult this year on land rights and consenting measures to accelerate the development and maintenance of electricity network infrastructure.

Whether the Homeland Security Group has assessed social media posts written by Elon Musk as part of its disinformation work.

The Homeland Security Group (HSG) in the Home Office routinely conducts open source monitoring to help keep British citizens safe, including on social media platforms in compliance with the relevant legislation governing such activity.As per convention, specific details of this work cannot be provided publicly as this would jeopardise its effectiveness.

If she will outline the recruitment process for foreign nationals applying for positions in the prison service; and if she will publish all related documents.

His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) publishes vacancies across formal UK advertising boards, including Justice Jobs and Civil Service Jobs - GOV.UK.The recruitment process applied across HMPPS is the same for both UK and non-UK nationals, where selection for appointment is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as per the legal requirement set out in the Civil Service Recruitment Principles.In accordance with the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles, each candidate is assessed and selected fairly against the criteria published in the job advert. As the Ministry of Justice operates a devolved recruitment model, most recruitment is managed locally.The Civil Service Nationality Rules (CSNRs) govern eligibility for employment in the Civil Service on the grounds of nationality. All applicants applying to work in the Department must meet the CSNRs and must have valid right to work in the UK for successful completion of pre-employment checks.The Department welcomes job applications from everyone, irrespective of background, identity, experience, or circumstance, and particularly those underrepresented in our workforce.

If she will take steps to simplify the process for requesting a credit freeze from consumer credit reporting companies.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) recently conducted a study on the credit information market — the Credit Information Market Study — to understand how this market operates and assess whether it is working effectively for consumers and lenders. In December 2023, the FCA published the final report for this study, proposing twelve remedies to improve the market. One of the remedies recommends that credit reference agencies (CRAs) streamline the process for consumers to add ‘credit freeze’ markers to their credit reports and ensure these markers are automatically registered across all CRAs. The FCA and industry are jointly establishing a new Credit Reporting Governance Body, which will be responsible for overseeing the sharing of credit information and implementing this recommendation.

What the cost is of each pilot for asylum accommodation administered by (a) city mayors and (b) local authorities.

Any announcements on this and other related issues concerning asylum accommodation will be announced in the normal way in due course but the Government is determined to restore order to the asylum systems and cut the overall costs of the asylum system.

Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to introduce new fisheries management measures in England’s Marine Protected Areas on (a) bottom trawling and (b) dredging.

It is essential to manage all forms of damaging fishing activity, including bottom trawling and dredging, in our Marine Protected Areas appropriately due to the significant damage it can have on protected seabed habitats. The department is considering next steps in the context of our domestic and international nature conservation obligations and how we support the fishing sector.

How many asylum seekers are covered by the pilots for asylum accommodation administered by (a) city mayors and (b) local authorities by (i) number of family units and (ii) average number of children.

Any announcements on this and other related issues concerning asylum accommodation will be announced in the normal way in due course but the Government is determined to restore order to the asylum systems and cut the overall costs of the asylum system.

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 January 2025 to Question 23033 on Equality, whether the duty will require police and crime commissioners to prioritise specific (a) crime types, (b) localities and (c) minority groups.

The duty will not require police and crime commissioners to prioritise specific (a) crime types, (b) localities or (c) minority groups. The duty requires specified public bodies, when making strategic decisions, to consider actively how their decisions might help to reduce the inequalities associated with socio-economic disadvantage.

What (a) interviews and (b) security checks there are for foreign nationals applying for positions in the prison service; and whether their country of origin is a factor.

HM Prison & Probation Service welcomes applications from people wishing to work in prisons in England and Wales. The interview process is the same for both UK and non-UK nationals. Selection is on the basis of fair and open competition, in accordance with the legal requirement set out in the Civil Service Recruitment Principles.Each candidate is assessed against the criteria published in the job advertisement. Most recruitment is managed locally. In relation to nationality, eligibility is governed by the Civil Service Nationality Rules.All candidates, regardless of nationality, are subject to robust screening to assess their suitability against the relevant legislative requirements and security-related factors. These checks include confirmation of identity; confirmation of right to work in the UK; a criminal record check, declaration of any connections with offenders; employment reference enquiries; and a financial vulnerability assessment.All directly-employed prison staff must achieve, as a minimum, security clearance at Enhanced Level 2. HM Prison & Probation Service also undertakes a range of digital vetting and social media checks for new prison officer starters and chaplains.Non-directly employed staff working in our prisons must achieve, as a minimum, clearance at Enhanced Level 1. In some cases, depending on risk and role, these staff may additionally require either a Standard or an Enhanced Check by the Disclosure and Barring Service. For staff working in prisons in the Long-Term High Security Estate, an additional National Security Vetting Check, at Counter-Terrorist level, is required as a minimum for all staff.

Communities and Local Government, if she will publish internal analysis produced by her Department on the impact of asylum accommodation in hotels on violent disorder in summer 2024.

The Government is committed to understanding the factors which influenced the violent disorder in the summer, and its harmful impact on many communities. This is a priority, which is why the Deputy Prime Minister stood up a cross-government Communities and Recovery Steering Group to oversee this work.Officials from my department have carried out extensive engagement with the places affected by the violence. The insights from this ongoing work are informing the Government’s long-term, strategic approach to building social cohesion, and ensuring communities across the country are safe, resilient and united.