Written questions by Moon.

What discussions her Department has had with police forces on improving investigations into cases involving coercive and controlling behaviour.

The statutory definition of domestic abuse, contained within the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, explicitly recognises coercive controlling behaviour (CCB) as a form of domestic abuse.The government is committed to ensuring policing has the right skills and training to respond robustly to crimes of violence against women and girls (VAWG), including CCB. Whilst the Domestic Abuse Matters training programme covers CCB extensively and has now been delivered to over 80% of police forces in England and Wales we know that more needs to be done to transform the police response.In our manifesto, we committed to strengthening and standardising officer training, at all levels, to ensure that our police have the right skills and training to respond appropriately and compassionately to victims of VAWG, in every force. That’s why we have announced £13.1 million funding to establish the new National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection (NCVPP), this includes an uplift of £2m to improve police training. The NCVPP is developing a comprehensive training package, grounded in academic research and behaviour change science, to ensure that all frontline officers are equipped to manage investigations, and that senior leaders are able to advance stronger safeguarding arrangements for victims of all VAWG crimes, including CCB.

What estimate her Department has made of the number of people on the (a) Homes for Ukraine and (b) Ukraine Family Schemes who are working in the agricultural sector.

The information requested is not currently available from published statistics.

What steps her Department is taking to secure seasonal workers for the (a) horticulture and (b) agriculture sector.

On 25 February, the Government announced that the Seasonal Worker route had been extended for five years, with 45,000 visas available for 2025, consisting of 43,000 for horticulture and agriculture and 2,000 for the poultry sector. The Government keeps the Seasonal Worker route under regular review.

What steps her Department is taking to help tackle cable theft from electric vehicle infrastructure.

Theft, including the theft of cables, is a serious crime and this Government recognises the distress and disruption it can cause, not only to businesses, but also to local communities and critical infrastructure. The Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 was introduced to reduce metal theft by strengthening regulation of the scrap metal industry. The Act requires scrap metal dealers to obtain a licence from their local authority and to verify the identity of those selling the scrap metal; it also bans dealers from paying cash. Following introduction of the Act, there was an overall downward trend in metal-related theft offences. The latest figures for the year ending March 2024 are 64% lower than in the previous year. Furthermore, the sentencing guidelines on theft have been amended to highlight that where theft causes disruption to infrastructure, this should be taken into account when assessing the harm. We work closely with the National Infrastructure Crime Reduction Partnership who bring together industry and policing and law enforcement partners to tackle metal theft, including cable theft, by sharing intelligence to target offenders and implementing crime prevention measures. We are also delivering on our commitment to put 13,000 neighbourhood police and community support officers into local communities.

What assessment her Department has made of the merits of increasing penalties for electric cable theft.

Theft, including the theft of cables, is a serious crime and this Government recognises the distress and disruption it can cause, not only to businesses, but also to local communities and critical infrastructure. The Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 was introduced to reduce metal theft by strengthening regulation of the scrap metal industry. The Act requires scrap metal dealers to obtain a licence from their local authority and to verify the identity of those selling the scrap metal; it also bans dealers from paying cash. Following introduction of the Act, there was an overall downward trend in metal-related theft offences. The latest figures for the year ending March 2024 are 64% lower than in the previous year. Furthermore, the sentencing guidelines on theft have been amended to highlight that where theft causes disruption to infrastructure, this should be taken into account when assessing the harm. We work closely with the National Infrastructure Crime Reduction Partnership who bring together industry and policing and law enforcement partners to tackle metal theft, including cable theft, by sharing intelligence to target offenders and implementing crime prevention measures. We are also delivering on our commitment to put 13,000 neighbourhood police and community support officers into local communities.

What steps she is taking to increase the (a) transparency and (b) accountability of animal testing facilities.

The Government publishes a detailed Operational Guidance document on how the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 is administered and enforced and also a Code of Practice for care and accommodation requirements.An annual statistics publication provides full details on the number of licensed procedures carried out, the species of animals and the purposes for which the procedures have been undertaken.The Animals in Science Regulator publishes an annual report which contains information on licensing, the audit programme, and management of non-compliance.