Written questions by Farage.

Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with (a) local authority officers and (b) local authority elected representatives on the cancellation of the local elections in Essex, and if she will publish such conversations.

The Secretary of State has not had discussions with these local authorities on the cancellation of the local elections. Discussions on the applications to the Devolution Priority Programme have been had with all upper tier and unitary councils in the preparation of the programme, and those discussions covered all matters related to the timetable and process by both officials and ministers, as you would expect.

Whether she plans to prescribe Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation.

I refer the Hon. member to the answer provided to question UIN 23462.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure sanctions are taken against companies which have been sanctioned by other nations for links with the Muslim Brotherhood.

We keep all evidence and potential designations under close review. We will consider targets, guided by the objectives of the relevant sanctions regime and the evidence. It would not be appropriate to speculate about potential future sanctions designations as to do so could reduce their impact. We coordinate sanctions activity with our allies to maximise collective impact where possible, but this does not mean we will always take identical and simultaneous action - our respective sanctions regimes sometimes differ, as do the strategic objectives they serve.

Which countries have had visitor visas reinstated since 5 July 2024.

Since 5 July 2024, the UK has reintroduced visitor visa requirements for nationals of Jordan on 10 September 2024 and for nationals of Colombia on 26 November 2024.

How many foreign national offenders are incarcerated in the United Kingdom as of 22 October 2024.

As of 30 June 2024, there were 10,435 foreign nationals in HMPPS custody. The number of foreign national offenders (FNOs) in prison in England and Wales is published quarterly in table 1_Q_11 of Offender Management Statistics, with the latest data (30 Jun...

What information her Department holds on police protection provided to people other than Ministers and members of the Royal Family.

The government’s protective security system is rigorous and proportionate. It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on protective security arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals’ securit...

What estimate she has made of the number of illegal migrants crossing the English Channel who are not intercepted by Border Force.

On a daily basis, the Home Office publishes data on the number of small boats crossing the Channel that have been involved in uncontrolled landings. The latest such publication, and a time series dating back to 2018, can be found at: Small boat activity i...

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to improve flood defences in (a) Jaywick, (b) St Osyth, (c) Point Clear and (d) other high-risk areas in Clacton constituency.

Protecting communities around the country from flooding is one of the new Secretary of State’s five core priorities. That’s why this Government launched a Flood Resilience Taskforce to provide oversight of national and local flood resilience and preparedn...

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of the UK withdrawing from the European Convention on Human Rights.

This Government is unequivocally committed to the European Convention of Human Rights and will not withdraw from it. The UK government maintains profound respect for international law and remains fully committed to the international human rights framework...

How many millionaires have left the UK since the announcement of changes to the tax status for non-UK domiciled individuals.

The Government does not hold this information. The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) published their assumptions on the behavioural response of the affected population to the previous government’s announced policies in their Economic and ...

Whether his Department has had discussions with local authorities on the potential impact of the proposed outdoor smoking ban on local businesses.

The Government will soon introduce the Tobacco and Vapes Bill which stands to be the most significant public health intervention in a generation. The bill will put us on track to a smoke-free United Kingdom, helping to reduce 80,000 preventable deaths, re...

What steps his Department is taking to support the steel industry.

The Government is developing a steel strategy in partnership with the steel sector and trade unions that will set out a long-term vision for a sustainable steel sector, which we plan to publish in Spring 2025. We have committed £500mn to Port Talbot’s tra...

How many small boats without permission to enter the UK departing from northern France have been disrupted this year, and of those how many migrants were (a) detained or (b) attempted a further crossi

So far in 2024 (to 6 October) a total of 607 boats have been prevented from crossing the Channel as a result of our joint work with the French.

What steps her Department is taking to work with young people to help prevent radicalisation.

The Government is committed to ensuring all children and young people are safe, including from radicalisation.The Prevent programme tackles ideological causes of terrorism and provides early intervention for people at risk of radicalisation.Where a young ...

What recent assessment her Department has made of the value for money of payments made to the French government to stop the departures of illegal boats travelling to the UK from northern France.

Expenditure and value for money are monitored closely, with a joint governance structure to ensure the suitability of proposed expenditure against the shared aim of the UK and French Governments of stopping these dangerous and unnecessary crossings.

Whether she has plans to offer an amnesty to illegal immigrants residing in the UK.

No.

Communities and Local Government, how many social housing places are accommodating asylum seekers in (a) Clacton and (b) the UK.

Social housing stock is not used to accommodate asylum seekers. If a person's immigration status does not allow them recourse to public funds, as is the case in respect of asylum seekers, then they are not eligible for an allocation of social housing.

If he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the UK's military support for Ukraine on the readiness of the armed forces.

The Government's first priority is ensuring the security of the nation and its citizens. The Prime Minister has confirmed that the UK will provide £3 billion a year in military support every year for as long as it takes. The Prime Minister has launched th...

What steps his Department is taking to support pubs in (a) Clacton and (b) nationally.

Pubs, including in Clacton, are at the heart of our communities and play a vital role in supporting economic growth across the UK. We will restore consumer confidence through measures such as the plan to Make Work Pay, which sets out an ambitious agenda t...

Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take to ensure that housing targets do not negatively impact the delivery of local services for pre-existing communities (a) in Clacton constituency and (

The National Planning Policy Framework sets an expectation that the provision of local services is to be taken into account when planning for development. The Government is also committed to strengthening the existing system of developer contributions to ...