Written questions by Lowe.

How many detainees have absconded from immigration detention in each year since 2020.

Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs) are used flexibly to detain foreign nationals liable for removal from the UK. This includes time-served foreign national offenders, immigration offenders and those who have arrived in the UK illegally. As of 1 September, the Home Office has the capacity to detain around 2,400 people in IRCs, including time-served foreign national offenders awaiting deportation. The Government takes the protection of the public and escapes from immigration detention extremely seriously. There are robust security measures in all IRCs to prevent residents from escaping. The Home Office releases data on escapes from immigration detention on an annual basis. The latest published statistics are for 2024. These are available at: Immigration system statistics, year ending June 2025 - GOV.UK.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the value for money of a digital ID system compared to existing forms of identification.

The Government is committed to making the state more efficient and easier to interact with through harnessing technology. We want to learn from countries who have digitised government services for the benefit of their citizens.We are looking at whether a new digital ID could help tackle illegal immigration, transform public services, and bring benefits to people’s everyday lives. No firm decision, estimate or assessment has yet been made.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of digital identity services for (a) individual freedom and (b) personal privacy.

The Government is committed to making the state more efficient and easier to interact with through harnessing technology. We want to learn from countries who have digitised government services for the benefit of their citizens.We are looking at whether a new digital ID could help tackle illegal immigration, transform public services, and bring benefits to people’s everyday lives. No firm decision, estimate or assessment has yet been made.

Innovation and Technology, what estimate he has made of the number of additional (a) civil servants and (b) contractors required to administer a digital ID system.

The Government is committed to making the state more efficient and easier to interact with through harnessing technology. We want to learn from countries who have digitised government services for the benefit of their citizens.We are looking at whether a new digital ID could help tackle illegal immigration, transform public services, and bring benefits to people’s everyday lives. No firm decision, estimate or assessment has yet been made.

How many staff her Department employs to organise deportation flights.

Staff working on deportation flights are often deployed flexibly across broader returns and enforcement workstreams. As such, it is not possible to disaggregate staffing figures to isolate those solely focused on deportation flights and obtaining the specific information requested would involve collating and verifying information from multiple systems owned by multiple teams across the Home Office and, therefore, could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. The Home Office does not hold any central record of the requested information.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the risk of digital identity systems being used for surveillance of people.

The Government is committed to making the state more efficient and easier to interact with through harnessing technology. We want to learn from countries who have digitised government services for the benefit of their citizens.We are looking at whether a new digital ID could help tackle illegal immigration, transform public services, and bring benefits to people’s everyday lives. No firm decision, estimate or assessment has yet been made.

What the top five reasons are for deportation flights being cancelled.

The information you have required is not available from published statistics.

What the cost of private security contractors used in deportations has been in each of the last five years.

The Home Office uses its Escorting and Related Services Contract with Mitie Care and Custody to effect Returns of persons with no right to remain within the UK. The costs of this contract are routinely published as part of the Home Office Transparency data, and can be found at Home Office spending - GOV.UK.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of leaving European Convention on Human Rights on the ability of the UK to deport foreign nationals.

We set out in our Immigration White Paper our intention to bring forward legislation to allow us to more easily remove foreign national offenders.Later this year we will set out more detailed reforms and stronger measures to ensure our laws are upheld, including streamlining and speeding up the removals process. That will include establishing new procedures so that the Home Office can more easily take enforcement and removal action and revoke visas in a much wider range of crimes where noncustodial sentences have been given, not just cases which are sent to prison.The Government is fully committed to complying with international law and the protection of human rights. Work is underway on reviewing the application of Article 3 and Article 8 in immigration cases.

What estimate she has made of the number of foreign nationals who have abscond after being served with a deportation order.

Obtaining the specific information requested would involve collating and verifying information from multiple systems and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. The Home Office does not hold any central record of the requested information.

What estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of legal aid support in deportation cases in the last 12 months.

Expenditure relating to deportation and removal appeals is published as part of the Legal Aid Agency’s Official Statistics as part of its ‘detailed civil data’ collection. Due to the way information is recorded it is not possible to distinguish between costs relating to deportation matters and those relating to removal matters. The total legal aid expenditure for financial year 24/25 relating to deportation and removal matters is £1,007,833, which represents 0.05% of total legal aid expenditure in the same period. Advice and representation in connection with an appeal against deportation is not within the scope of services funded under Schedule, 1 Part 1 to the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO) unless the applicant is claiming asylum. This means many deportation cases would not be funded under legal aid. Where legal aid is available this would be subject to an assessment of the merits of the case and the individual’s financial eligibility for legal aid.

How many people received (a) warnings and (b) punishment for underpaying stamp duty in the last financial year.

HMRC charges penalties in line with its legislation and guidance, according to what behaviour led to an inaccuracy. In 24/25, HMRC issued 116 SDLT inaccuracy penalties.

Whether she has sought to negotiate returns agreements with (a) Pakistan, (b) Albania, (c) Nigeria and (d) Somalia in the last five years.

The UK has returns agreements with these four countries that facilitate the return of individuals with no legal basis to remain in the UK. We continue to work with each of these countries on returns and to manage irregular migration.This Government is committed to maintaining and improving returns cooperation with all countries to which we are seeking to remove those with no legal basis to remain in the UK. Most people return voluntarily without their return needing to be enforced but for some enforced returns, confirmation of identity and nationality, including for the provision of travel documentation, needs to be obtained before removal can be affected. There is a limited number of countries where this process can be challenging. We continue to seek opportunities to build returns co-operation with these four countries through official and ministerial engagement, operational returns arrangements and agreements.

How many deportations have been prevented by interim measures of the European Court of Human Rights in each of the last five years.

The Information requested regarding how many deportations have been prevented by interim measures of the European Court of Human Rights in each of the last five years is not held centrally and to obtain it would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold.

Whether her Department applies sanctions to countries that refuse to accept deported nationals.

Where cooperation with countries on returns falls below the levels expected, and where appropriate, we will use all levers available to us.Sections 70-74 the new Nationality and Borders Act 2022 (NABA) gives HMG the ability to impose visa penalties where countries are deemed to be uncooperative on returns. The full provision can be found here: Nationality and Borders Act 2022.

How many and what proportion of staff in her Department are dedicated to enforcing deportation orders.

The Home Office does not hold centrally collated data on the precise number or proportion of staff exclusively dedicated to enforcing deportation orders. Enforcement activity focussed on deportation orders is carried out across the Home Office with responsibilities spanning multiple functions including removals, detention, and casework. Staff working on deportation orders are often deployed flexibly across broader returns and enforcement workstreams. As such, it is not possible to disaggregate staffing figures to isolate those solely focused on deportation enforcement and obtaining the specific information requested would involve collating and verifying information from multiple systems owned by multiple teams across the Home Office and, therefore, could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. The Home Office does not hold any central record of the requested information.

What estimate she has made of the number of deportations that have failed due to a lack of cooperation from foreign governments.

The UK has returns agreements with these four countries that facilitate the return of individuals with no legal basis to remain in the UK. We continue to work with each of these countries on returns and to manage irregular migration.This Government is committed to maintaining and improving returns cooperation with all countries to which we are seeking to remove those with no legal basis to remain in the UK. Most people return voluntarily without their return needing to be enforced but for some enforced returns, confirmation of identity and nationality, including for the provision of travel documentation, needs to be obtained before removal can be affected. There is a limited number of countries where this process can be challenging. We continue to seek opportunities to build returns co-operation with these four countries through official and ministerial engagement, operational returns arrangements and agreements.

What assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the backlog in deportation cases.

As committed to in the Immigration White Paper (12 May 2025), the Government will shortly publish a formal Asylum Policy Statement setting out radical reforms to modernise the asylum system and strengthen border security. These proposals will include a new protection offer, accelerated decision-making, fast-track appeals and returns, as well as reforms to family rights and Article 8 claims.Latest published information shows that at the end of Q2 2025 there were 19,390 foreign national offenders (FNOs) living in the community having completed their custodial sentences and subject to deportation.The Home Office faces significant and complex challenges when seeking to return those who have no right to be in the UK to their country of origin or lawful place of return. Despite these barriers, we are fully committed to making our communities safer by deporting those who break our laws.That is why are legislating to introduce a 24-week timeframe, this will speed up the appeals process for foreign criminals subject to ensuring that a fair hearing can take place.This government has already removed 5,179 FNOs in its first year in office, a 14 per cent increase on the previous twelve months, and we will continue to ensure there is no hiding place for foreign criminals in our country.The latest figures on the increase in returns can be found at: Returns from the UK between 5 July 2024 and 4 July 2025 - GOV.UK.

How many deportations have been delayed as a result of challenges under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights in the last 12 months.

The information requested, regarding the number of delayed deportations of foreign national offenders (FNOs) as a result of challenges under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights and injunctions granted by domestic courts citing the European Convention on Human Rights, is not held centrally and to obtain it would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of publishing league tables of deportation compliance by countries.

We continue to use an array of tools, including through diplomatic engagement, to maintain and improve international returns co-operation.