Written questions by Lowe.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a curfew on irregular migrants housed in (a) hotels and (b) other types of accommodation.

I refer the Hon. Member to PQ 13616.

If she will provide a breakdown of the primary language of registered sexual offenders.

Qualifying offenders (i.e., those convicted for an offence in Schedule 3 to the Sexual Offences Act 2003) are required to notify personal details to the police. This system is often referred to as the ‘sex offenders’ register’ and requires offenders to provide specified details, including their passport (or passports, if they are dual nationals), on an annual basis and whenever those details change.In addition, the data provided to the police, and other relevant information is stored on the ViSOR database which allows for the recording and sharing of biographical information and information relevant to the offender’s risk between the police and other relevant agencies. MAPPS is a Home Office-led project to replace the ViSOR database to improve multi-agency information sharing. Information about the languages spoken by registered sex offenders is not collated centrally.

How many and what proportion of (a) asylum seekers and (b) undocumented migrants were eligible for support under (i) Section (A) 95 and (B) 98 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 and (ii) Section 17 of the Children Act 1989 in each of the last ten years; and if she will make an estimate of the total cost to the public purse of that support in the same period.

As has long been the case. the Home Office has a statutory obligation to provide accommodation support to asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute before their claim is decided and those without a valid claim can be removed. By clearing the backlog and increasing removals of those with no right to stay, we can end the use of asylum hotels. Data on the number of asylum seekers in receipt of support, can be found within the Asy_D09 tab for our most recent stats release: Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab). The Home Office publishes information on asylum expenditure in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts at HO annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab)(opens in a new tab). The Home Office does not have, and therefore cannot discharge, duties under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989. It is for the local authority where an unaccompanied child is located to consider its duties under the Children’s Act 1989.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of collecting data on the nationality at birth of people on the sex offenders register.

Qualifying offenders (i.e.those convicted for an offence in Schedule 3 to the Sexual Offences Act 2003) are required to notify personal details to the police. This system is often referred to as the ‘sex offenders’ register’ and requires offenders to provide specified details, including their passport (or passports, if they are dual nationals) details annually and whenever those details change.In addition, the data provided to the police, and other relevant information, is on stored on the ViSOR database which allows for the recording and sharing of biographical information and information relevant to their risk between the police and other relevant agencies. MAPPS is a Home Office-led project to replace the ViSOR database to improve multi-agency information sharing.

Whether her Department places limits on the movements of irregular migrants housed in (a) hotels and (b) other accommodation.

The Home Office has a statutory obligation to provide support and accommodation to destitute asylum seekers while their claim for asylum is being considered.Asylum seekers housed in asylum accommodation are not detained but are subject to the same laws as UK citizens throughout their time in this country

How much was paid by her Department to Serco in each of the last 10 years.

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer provided in PQ 15558.

With reference to the transparency data published by her Department entitled Small boat arrivals: last 7 days, if she will make it her policy to include information on the sex of migrants in this data.

Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, the resources required to compile the statistics, as well as quality and availability of data.The Home Office publishes quarterly statistics on detected small boat arrivals to the UK in the ‘Irregular migration to the UK statistics’ release. Quarterly data on detected small boat arrivals by sex is published in table Irr_D01 of the ‘Irregular migration to the UK detailed datasets’ with the latest data up to the end of June 2024. Data for July to September 2024 will be published on 28 November 2024.

What proportion of reported retail thefts have resulted in a charge in each of the last five years.

The Home Office collects and publishes information on the number of shoplifting offences and their investigative outcomes recorded by the police in England and Wales on a quarterly basis.The proportion of shoplifting offences which resulted in a “Charge/Summonsed” outcome can be derived from the Outcomes Open Data tables, which can be accessed here:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tablesRetail theft reached record levels under the previous Government and while the latest figures show a rise in the proportion of retail thefts resulting in a charge or summons there is more to be done.This Government will end the effective imunity, introduced by the previous Government, granted to shop theft of goods under £200 and will introduce a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect hardworking and dedicated staff who work in stores.

How many irregular migrants are in hotel accommodation.

Data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation, by local authority and accommodation type, can be found within the Asy_D11 tab for our most recent stats release: Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab).

How many citizenship applications were granted in each of the last 20 years by original nationality.

This data is published online quarterly and for the period in question can be found under the heading ‘Citizenship’ at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/immigration-system-statistics-data-tables#citizenship.The relevant table is called Citizenship detailed data sets, year ending June 2024 and the tab on the spreadsheet is Data-Cit_D02.

How many irregular migrants were housed in hotels of each star rating in each year since 2018.

Data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation, by local authority and accommodation type, can be found within the Asy_D11 tab for our most recent stats release: Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). The Government is determined to restore order to the asylum system so that it operates swiftly, firmly, and fairly, ensuring the best value for money for the British taxpayer.

Whether her Department provides free English lessons for irregular migrants.

The Home Office does not provide English Language lessons as part of the provision of Asylum Support.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 November 2024 to Question 11395 on Undocumented Migrants: Offenders, if she will publish information on the proportion of irregular migrants who have (a) previous criminal convictions and (b) subsequently obtained a criminal record.

Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, as well as quality and availability of data.

What the Government's policy is on checking the immigration status of individuals during the process of arrest to prosecution.

Where relevant, the Police will check the immigration status of individuals they arrest with Immigration Enforcement. The purpose of sharing this information is to assist in establishing identity.Any foreign national who is convicted of a crime and given a prison sentence is considered for deportation at the earliest opportunity.

How many irregular migrants entered the UK in each of the last five years, broken down by vehicle type.

The Home Office publishes statistics on irregular arrivals to the UK in the ‘Irregular migration to the UK statistics’ release on gov.uk. Data on arrivals by arrival method, sex, and age are published in table Irr_D01 of the ‘Irregular migration to the UK detailed datasets’, with the latest data up to the end of June 2024.The Home Office does not publish arrival method breakdowns by vehicle type.

Pursuant to the answer of 1 November 2024 to Question 11117 on Crime: Undocumented Migrants, what information her Department holds on the number of crimes committed by undocumented migrants.

The information requested is not available from published statistics.Any foreign national who is convicted of a crime and given a prison sentence is considered for deportation at the earliest opportunity.Under the UK Borders Act 2007, a deportation order must be made where a foreign national has been convicted of an offence and received a custodial sentence of 12 months or more. A foreign national who has been convicted of an offence that has caused serious harm, who is a persistent offender or who represents a threat to national security may also be considered for deportation under the Immigration Act 1971, where it is conducive to the public good.We are committed to delivering justice for victims and safer streets for our communities. Foreign nationals who commit crime should be in no doubt that the law will be enforced and, where appropriate, we will pursue their deportation, and they will be swiftly removed from the country.

What her department's policy is on (a) engines, (b) boats and (c) life jackets recovered from irregular migrant arrivals; and what the cost to the public purse was of the (i) storage of, (ii) destruction of and (iii) other process applied to such equipment in each year since 2018.

All vessels that have been subject to seizure are held by Border Force until completion of any criminal investigation activities. The majority of boats are not fit for re-sale or to ever go to sea again, as they arrive in very poor condition and may be damaged during the recovery process.The boats are disposed of by Border Force’s approved contractors and, where appropriate, any suitable materials are recycled. Regarding the costs of storage, destruction and other process applied to the equipment listed, this information is not available in an accessible format and can therefore not be provided.

How many irregular migrants have crossed the Channel by (a) age and (b) sex in each year since 2018.

The Home Office publishes statistics on irregular arrivals to the UK in the ‘Irregular migration to the UK statistics’ release on gov.uk. Data on arrivals by arrival method, sex, and age are published in table Irr_D01 of the ‘Irregular migration to the UK detailed datasets’, with the latest data up to the end of June 2024.The Home Office does not publish arrival method breakdowns by vehicle type.

The locations of how many irregular migrants processed by the authorities and believed to be in the UK are unknown to her Department.

The Home Office does not hold or detain asylum seekers in asylum accommodation, and individuals are free to leave their accommodation if they no longer require support. The Home Office does maintain records of where supported asylum seekers are accommodated, and updates these records in the event the Department is informed a person moves address.

Whether irregular migrants housed in hotels have access to (a) pool, (b) gym and (c) other hotel facilities.

The Home Office has a statutory obligation to provide destitute asylum seekers with accommodation and subsistence support whilst their application for asylum is being considered.They do not have access to hotel leisure facilities.The Government is determined to restore order to the asylum system so that it operates swiftly, firmly and fairly, clearing the backlog and increasing removals, ending demand on accommodation. The Home Office accommodation estate is under constant review, as the Home Office continues to identify a range of options to minimise the use of hotels and ensure better use of public money.