Written questions by Niblett.

Whether she plans to oppose proposed changes submitted to the Police Remuneration Review Body on reducing compensation for cancelled rest days and altering re-roster arrangements for police officers.

The Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) makes recommendations to the Government on the appropriate level of pay and allowances for police officers, including payments for cancelled rest days. The PRRB gathers and invites parties to submit evidence to inform their decisions. The Government will give very careful consideration to any recommendations made by the PRRB.The Government expects any changes to police pay and conditions to take into account the welfare, morale and retention of officers, alongside the operational needs of policing. We are clear that officer wellbeing must remain a central consideration in any changes.More widely, this Government remains firmly committed to supporting the wellbeing of police officers and staff through the Police Covenant. This includes ongoing work to ensure that officers have access to appropriate support in key areas such as mental health, physical protection, and support for their families.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of proposals by the National Police Chiefs’ Council to change compensation arrangements for cancelled police rest days on officer welfare, morale and retention.

The Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) makes recommendations to the Government on the appropriate level of pay and allowances for police officers, including payments for cancelled rest days. The PRRB gathers and invites parties to submit evidence to inform their decisions. The Government will give very careful consideration to any recommendations made by the PRRB.The Government expects any changes to police pay and conditions to take into account the welfare, morale and retention of officers, alongside the operational needs of policing. We are clear that officer wellbeing must remain a central consideration in any changes.More widely, this Government remains firmly committed to supporting the wellbeing of police officers and staff through the Police Covenant. This includes ongoing work to ensure that officers have access to appropriate support in key areas such as mental health, physical protection, and support for their families.

What discussions her Department has had with the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers on the level of protests outside their members' premises.

The right to peaceful protest is a vital part of our democracy, and people are free to gather and express their views, provided they do so within the law. The Public Order Act 1986 grants the police powers to manage protests by imposing conditions on public processions and assemblies to prevent serious disorder, disruption, or intimidation, while balancing the right to peaceful protest. It is for local police forces to determine whether to impose conditions.The Home Office engages with policing partners and relevant stakeholders, including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on issues relating to public order and protest activity. The policing of protests, including any activity outside commercial premises, is an operational decision for the police who must balance the right to peaceful protest with the rights and safety of others.

What safeguards are in place to protect individuals on the Health and Care Worker visa who report that they have been asked to pay additional sums to their employer in order to maintain their visa sponsorship and continue residing and working in the UK; and what steps are being taken to investigate and penalise employers unlawfully extracting such payments and ensure migrants in this situation can (a) report safely without fear of visa cancellation, (b) access alternative sponsorship or settlement options and (c) receive compensation or redress for exploitation.

All reports of H&C visa holders being forced to pay additional sums are investigated. The sponsor guidance expressly prohibits certain specific costs being passed onto workers. Since the introduction of care workers to the Health and Care Worker visa, UKVI have revoked the licence of more than 1000 sponsors who were operating in the social care sector.The Home Office continues to work closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) funded Regional Partnerships to support care workers, who have been impacted by exploitative employers.DHSC are funding 15 regional hubs in England, made up of Local Authorities and Directors of Adult Social Services. UKVI work very closely with the Regional Partnerships in order to fund working together to support displaced workers gain new roles within the care sector and to respond to unethical practices. Where broader concerns are identified, these are referred to the relevant authorities.

When the consultation on firearms will be published.

We intend to publish this consultation shortly.

What recent assessment her Department has made of levels of freight crime; and what steps she is taking to improve prevention and enforcement activity to protect haulage operators.

We fully recognise the serious and growing threat that freight crime poses to businesses, drivers, and the wider economy. This Government is determined to crack down on it. The incidence of cargo theft, where criminals rip the sides of lorries and take the goods inside, is frightening for drivers. The perception this crime is low risk and high reward is completely unacceptable.We will continue to work with law enforcement agencies and invested stakeholders to find solutions to tackle these crimes.Freight crimes are not currently separately identifiable in the centrally held police recorded crime data. Crimes involving the theft of freight are recorded by the police within broader vehicle-related theft categories. In order to monitor trends, we are piloting the use of a flag on police crime recording systems which officers can use to indicate that the crime they are investigating is freight crime.We also work closely with Opal, the police’s national intelligence unit focused on serious organised acquisitive crime, including freight crime, and with the National Vehicle Intelligence Service (NaVCIS), a policing unit set up to investigate vehicle crime, including freight crime. We have regular discussions with both units about tackling organised freight crime.

What methods she and her Department are using to monitor and assess levels of freight crime; what steps are being taken to engage with law enforcement agencies and the haulage industry to identify effective prevention measures; and how her Department plans to ensure robust enforcement against those responsible.

We fully recognise the serious and growing threat that freight crime poses to businesses, drivers, and the wider economy. This Government is determined to crack down on it. The incidence of cargo theft, where criminals rip the sides of lorries and take the goods inside, is frightening for drivers. The perception this crime is low risk and high reward is completely unacceptable.We will continue to work with law enforcement agencies and invested stakeholders to find solutions to tackle these crimes.Freight crimes are not currently separately identifiable in the centrally held police recorded crime data. Crimes involving the theft of freight are recorded by the police within broader vehicle-related theft categories. In order to monitor trends, we are piloting the use of a flag on police crime recording systems which officers can use to indicate that the crime they are investigating is freight crime.We also work closely with Opal, the police’s national intelligence unit focused on serious organised acquisitive crime, including freight crime, and with the National Vehicle Intelligence Service (NaVCIS), a policing unit set up to investigate vehicle crime, including freight crime. We have regular discussions with both units about tackling organised freight crime.

What steps she is taking to ensure that spousal visa applications are processed in line with equality standards, especially where one party has (a) a learning disability and (b) Down's Syndrome.

The partner route under Appendix FM includes different requirements for those who have a disability in recognition of the Home Office’s equality obligations. For example, where the sponsor is claiming certain health disability allowances the family must meet the adequate maintenance test rather than the minimum income requirement and applicants are exempt from meeting English language requirements if they have a disability which prevents them learning English.All applications are considered on a case-by-case basis and where there are vulnerabilities, the caseworker will take this into consideration. Equality Impact Assessments are kept under review and updated as necessary.

Whether her Department plans to harmonise the number of days EU and UK citizens do not require visas for.

The UK has a generous offer for non-visa nationals (including EU/EEA nationals) to come to the UK for a period of up to 6 months without first applying for a visa. There are no current plans to change the permitted length of stay for visitors. The EU and other countries have their own immigration systems, including the Schengen 90/180-day requirement, which reflect their specific circumstances and policy aims. It is not uncommon for other countries, including our close international partners, to take a different position to the UK on visa free length of stay.

What guidance her Department has issued on what steps self employed professionals should take to obtain Enhanced DBS checking to enable them to provide services to vulnerable clients where there is no sponsoring employer.

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is operationally independent from the Home Office. Guidance published on gov.uk informs applicants and employers that:· A self-employed person who is eligible for a standard or enhanced DBS check due to the role they will undertake can ask the organisation that wishes to contract their services, such as a Local Authority, or a recruitment agency, to apply for their higher-level DBS check.· Under current legislation, applicants cannot apply for an enhanced (or standard) check issued by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) by themselves. This needs to be done through the employer who has asked for a DBS check.· Self-employed people may obtain a basic check, which any individual may apply for, which will reveal any unspent criminal convictions and adult cautions.·  DBS issues eligibility guidance on its website to this effect: DBS checks: guidance for employers - GOV.UK, Quick_Guide_to_DBS_Checks.pdf.On 9 April we published an update on the Government's work to tackle child sexual abuse: Tackling child sexual abuse: progress update - GOV.UK. In this we have committed to creating the ability for the self-employed to access higher level DBS checks. This will also include enabling access by personal employers.

Pursuant to the Answer of 24 April 2025 to Question 46303 on Visas: Ukraine, what steps Ukrainian people who will have been living here for four and a half years by the end of the extension need to take to ensure that they will be granted permission to remain here indefinitely where appropriate.

We keep the Ukraine schemes under continuous review in line with the ongoing conflict and the Ukrainian government’s desire for the future return of its citizens to Ukraine. This is why the Ukraine Schemes are temporary and do not lead to settlement in the UK. Similarly, time spent in the UK with permission granted under the Ukraine Schemes cannot be relied upon towards the continuous qualifying period for the purposes of a Long Residence application.There are other routes available for those who wish to settle in the UK permanently, if they meet the requirements, such as work routes and family routes. These routes are published on GOV.UK at: Work in the UK - GOV.UK and Family in the UK - GOV.UK.

What steps she is taking to support Ukrainians whose visas are due to expire without automatic renewal.

The UK has offered or extended sanctuary to over 300,000 Ukrainians and their families under the Ukraine Schemes, thanks to the immense generosity of the British public. We are determined to continue to provide stability for those we have welcomed to the UK and who still need our sanctuary.The Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme, which opened to applications on 4 February 2025, provides up to an additional 18 months’ permission to stay in the UK for those with existing Ukraine Scheme permission.Any person who applies for the UPE before their current permission expires will automatically have their current permission extended by Section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971 until any final decision is made in their case. Those successful will be granted permission to stay under the UPE for 18 months.Applications can be made under the UPE free of charge.

If she will take steps to enter a reciprocal agreement with the EU to enable visa-free travel entry for six months to EU Member States for UK citizens.

Article 492 of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement already provides for the UK and the EU provide for visa-free travel for short-term visits in respect of their nationals in accordance with their domestic law.

What steps she is taking to reduce the time taken to release death certificates.

Since the implementation of the death certification reforms in September 2024, the 5-day statutory time period for an informant to register a death commences when the registrar receives a completed Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) from a Medical Examiner, or notification from a Coroner.Monitoring by the General Register Office for England and Wales confirms that current appointment availability for the bereaved with registrars in Local Authorities to be available to register deaths is adequate, but the Government is continuing to work towards the electronic registration of deaths to minimise the burden on bereaved family members at a difficult time, as set out by the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology.

What assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of council run youth centres in tackling youth crime in South Derbyshire constituency.

This government recognises the vital role youth services play in reducing a young person’s likelihood of becoming involved in crime. This will be a vital element of our Young Futures Programme which will establish a network of Young Futures Hubs and Young Futures Prevention Partnerships, to intervene earlier to ensure this cohort is identified and offered support in a more systematic way, as well as creating more opportunities for young people in their communities, through the provision of open access to mental health and careers support.In addition, in 2025/6 DCMS will launch the Local Youth Transformation pilot, which will support local authorities to build youth service capacity. They will also allocate over £85m of capital funding in 2025/26 to create fit-for-purpose, welcoming spaces for young people, including launching the new Better Youth Spaces fund, which will allocate at least £26m for youth clubs to buy new equipment and undertake renovations. This will also include completing the Youth Investment Fund projects.

What steps she is taking to help reduce the incidence of antisocial behaviour in rural areas.

Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for this Government, and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission.The Government recently announced Respect Orders, which will be introduced in the forthcoming Crime and Policing Bill. Respect Orders can be applied for by police and local councils and are issued by the courts.They will enable courts to place wide-ranging restrictions on the behaviour of the most persistent and disruptive ASB offenders. They will include a power of arrest for any suspected breach, meaning officers can take action quickly to disrupt ongoing ASB. Breach will be a criminal offence, which is heard in the criminal courts with a wide range of sentencing options, including community orders, unlimited fines and, for the most severe cases, up to two years’ imprisonment.We will also put thousands of new neighbourhood police and community support officers into local communities, so residents know who to turn to when things go wrong.

What steps her Department is taking with (a) regional mayoralties and (b) wider local government to help tackle violence against women and girls.

This Government has set out an ambition to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) within a decade and will treat it as the national emergency that it is. Achieving this requires a transformative approach to the way we work together across Government, public services, the private sector, and charities.We are already driving forward a range of activities which will support local governments to tackle VAWG. We are continuing to implement Part 4 of the Domestic Abuse Act to ensure that victims of domestic abuse are able to access accommodation-based support. The Victims and Prisoners Act will require local commissioners, which includes Police and Crime Commissioners and local authorities, to identify and address gaps in support for victims of domestic abuse, and we also continue to champion the work being done by many PCCs and Deputy Mayors for Crime and Policing to tackle violence against women and girls in their local areas.

What plans she has to further support (a) Ukrainian refugees and (b) those who are hosting Ukrainian refugees in (i) Derbyshire and (ii) the East Midlands.

To provide future certainty, Ukrainians who have been provided with sanctuary in the UK under the Ukraine schemes will be able to apply for 18 months further permission to remain in the UK through a bespoke Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme due to open in early 2025.Sponsors continue to be eligible for thank you payments for the duration of their guest's Homes for Ukraine visa permission. For arrivals under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, local authorities also continue to receive a tariff of £5,900 per Ukrainian arrival in their area to support guests to rebuild their lives and fully integrate into communities.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the safety of (a) women and (b) children online in light of the use of AI in the creation of indecent images; and what discussions she has had with cabinet colleagues on this issue.

Women and children receive a disproportionate amount of online abuse, and the exponential rise of AI has further exacerbated this threat. That is why tackling child sexual abuse and violence against women & girls (VAWG), including when these crimes take place online, remains a top priority for this government. Under the Online Safety Act 2023, it is an offence to share or threaten to share intimate images without consent and this includes “deepfake” images. In September 2024, this Government made the sharing of intimate images without consent a ‘priority offence’ - the most serious class of online crime under the Online Safety Act. Companies in scope of the Act’s duties will now be required to proactively tackle this content on their platforms. This Government has also committed to banning the creation of sexually explicit “deepfake” images and is working at pace to identify a suitable legislative vehicle.With regards to child sexual abuse imagery, UK law is very clear that it is an offence to produce, store, share or search for any material that contains or depicts child sexual abuse. This prohibition also includes pseudo-imagery that may have been generated by artificial intelligence.Possession of indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children carries a maximum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment. In addition, the offence of taking, making, distribution and possession with a view to distribution of any indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of a child under 18 carries a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment. Technology companies, including those developing generative artificial intelligence products, have a duty to ensure their products are designed with robust guardrails in place that prevent them from being misused by offenders to create artificially generated child sexual abuse material. This Government is fully committed to tackling the creation of CSAM online and will use every lever possible to prevent it.