Written questions by Champion.

Whether the Government conducted an impact assessment prior to introducing changes to the Modern Slavery statutory guidance on the 11th May 2026, pertaining to the change in credibility guidance and timing of disclosure of information.

Policies are regularly kept under review, and impacts are assessed as part of any proposed changes. An Equality Impact Assessment was completed as part of this process.

What steps their department will take to ensure all police forces will be kept updated to latest trends and best practice relating to modern slavery and human trafficking now support through the Modern Slavery and Organised Immigration Crime Unit will no longer be available.

Modern slavery crimes are complex to investigate and prosecute, and ensuring a consistent and coordinated national policing response to modern slavery remains a priority for the Home Office.The Department worked closely with the Modern Slavery and Organised Immigration Crime Unit (MSOICU) and the National Crime Agency (NCA) to review the programme’s functions and agree contingency arrangements to ensure key functions are preserved to maintain national coordination following the programme’s closure.This includes issuing an expression of interest to appoint a new National Police Chief Council (NPCC) lead for modern slavery to continue to provide national leadership on the policing response to modern slavery. Once appointed, the Home Office will work closely with the NPCC lead and the NCA to ensure modern slavery remains a policing priority.Forces will continue to receive relevant updates from the Home Office on modern slavery and human trafficking through existing stakeholder forums, such as the Modern Slavery Engagement Forum and the First Responder Forum.

Whether their department plans to collect and publish data on the number of modern slavery and human trafficking police investigations, after this is no longer done by the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s Modern Slavery and Organised Immigration Crime Unit.

The Department has been working closely with the Modern Slavery and Organised Immigration Crime Unit (MSOICU) to review the programme’s functions and agree contingency arrangements to ensure key functions are preserved following the programme’s closure. This includes the collection of modern slavery police investigation data.The current investigations data only provides a partial and incomplete picture, as not all forces submit returns. Once in post, we will work with the new National Police Chiefs Council lead to consider the most effective approach to collecting consistent data on modern slavery investigations in the future.As part of the wider police reforms, national strategic policing priorities will be developed to improve policing standards and performance. The Home Office will consider how modern slavery measures and data collection can be reflected within these.We will continue to draw on data already collected by the Home Office, Crown Prosecution Service and the Ministry of Justice, including data on recorded offences and criminal justice outcomes, to support our understanding of modern slavery trends and performance.

How many Chevening Scholars have subsequently claimed asylum in the UK.

The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on the number of people claiming asylum where the latest leave held prior to claim was a study visa is published in table Asy_D01a of the ‘Asylum claims and initial decisions datasets’. The number of student entry clearance visas issued is published in table Vis_D02 of the 'Entry clearance visas datasets'.The requested information on asylum claims from Chevening scholars is not available from published statistics.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. These reviews allow us to balance the production of our regular statistics whilst developing new statistics for future release.

What steps her Department is taking to help ensure a coordinated national policing response to modern slavery, in the context of the removal of funding for the Modern Slavery and Organised Immigration Crime Unit.

Modern slavery crimes are complex to investigate and prosecute, and ensuring a consistent and coordinated national policing response to modern slavery remains a priority for the Home Office.The Department has been working closely with the Modern Slavery and Organised Immigration Crime Unit (MSOICU) and the National Crime Agency (NCA) to review the programme’s functions and agree contingency arrangements to ensure key functions are preserved to maintain national coordination following the programme’s closure.This includes an issuing an expression of interest to appoint a new National Police Chief Council (NPCC) lead for modern slavery to continue to provide national leadership on the policing response to modern slavery. Once appointed, the Home Office will work closely with the NPCC lead to ensure modern slavery remains a policing priority and will continue to provide policy oversight of the operational response.As part of the wider police reforms, national strategic policing priorities will be developed to improve policing standards and performance. The Home Office will consider how modern slavery measures can be reflected within these.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the removal of funding from the Modern Slavery and Organised Immigration Crime Unit on dedicated national policing funding for modern slavery activity.

We understand concerns about the lack of dedicated funding for the specialist Modern Slavery and Organised Immigration Crime Programme from April 2026, which has historically sat under the National Police Chief Council’s Modern Slavery and Organised Immigration Crime Lead.The modern slavery programme was established in 2017 as a transformation programme, with the long‑term intention of embedding modern slavery expertise and best practice into policing as business as usual. It has been instrumental in improving the law enforcement response to modern slavery, with more investigations and more prosecutions now than when the programme began.As with all transformation programmes, it is appropriate that it concludes once core objectives have been achieved. It is owing to the success of the programme, with forces better equipped to tackle modern slavery, that we must now ensure a consistent and standardised response to modern slavery across all forces to drive performance and hold the police accountable. This is in line with the Government’s wider ambitions to reform policing as set out in the White Paper, "From Local to National: A New Model for Policing".In its final year of funding, under the Ministerial Modern Slavery Action Plan for 2025/26, the modern slavery programme has developed a framework for investigating modern slavery, capturing the expertise and lessons learnt from the past eight years of the programme. The framework and related guidance material will be made available to all officers in England and Wales through an online knowledge hub and has been incorporated into the College of Policing’s Applied Professional Practice on Modern Slavery. This will ensure that policing retains a nationally consistent standard for modern slavery investigations and a clear basis for sustaining capability once the programme concludes.The department will continue to work with police forces across England and Wales to support a strong, coordinated approach to identifying, disrupting, and tackling modern slavery, and to oversee an orderly transition as the central modern slavery policing capability comes to a close.

With reference to the Crime and Police Bill 2024-26, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure a mandatory duty to report child sexual abuse for people undertaking key roles with children and young people are adequately trained to meet this duty.

Everyone who is responsible for the safety and wellbeing of children should receive appropriate training on referral processes. The government will set out clear guidance on the operation of the duty, and we will work with regulators and professional standards-setting bodies to ensure the new duty is clearly communicated ahead of implementation.Each organisation will need to judge how best to support its own staff in in adhering to the requirements of the duty and developing their response to child sexual abuse.Recognising that support is necessary in this complex area, the Home Office funds the independent Centre for Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse to further strengthen the ability of professionals to understand, identify and respond appropriately to concerns of child sexual abuse through the provision of evidence-based training and practice resources.

Whether she plans to extend the scope of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 to include decapod crustaceans; and what the timeline is for any work required prior to the decision.

The Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022 recognises decapod crustaceans as sentient beings. The Government is committed to an evidence-based and proportionate approach to setting welfare standards for decapod crustaceans, both for those caught for human consumption and those used in scientific research.The Home Office is carefully considering next steps, in collaboration with other relevant departments, on whether decapod crustaceans should be regulated under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. No timeline has yet been set and decisions will follow further evidence gathering.The Government is committed to non-animal alternatives in science and has published a strategy to support their development, validation and adoption. The strategy is available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/replacing-animals-in-science-strategy/replacing-animals-in-science-a-strategy-to-support-the-development-validation-and-uptake-of-alternative-methods

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that the National Crime Agency is carrying out inspections on cargo flights from the Uyghur region to ensure they are not carrying goods made with Uyghur forced labour.

The Government remains firmly opposed to the use of state-imposed forced labour. We are committed to working with international partners and businesses to ensure global supply chains are free from human and labour rights abuses.The Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) (2002) provides law enforcement agencies, including the NCA, with a powerful range of powers to seize cash and assets from individuals profiting from criminal activity. Government cannot direct how the POCA powers are used by law enforcement and independent operational decisions are a matter for the NCA.In the recently published Trade Strategy, the Government announced a review of its approach to Responsible Business Conduct (RBC) policy. The review will consider the effectiveness of the current UK regime and alternative means of supporting responsible business practices, including consideration of mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence laws and import controls on goods made by forced labour. The Department for Business and Trade will engage regularly with stakeholders to develop findings and provide updates.

What information her Department holds on how much it cost for the Independent Office for Police Conduct to carry out the Operation Linden investigation linked to child sexual abuse in Rotherham.

I refer the Hon Member to letter sent to her from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) regarding the costs for Operation Linden. A copy of the letter was placed in the House Library. As noted in that letter, “the total operations cost of the 91 investigations [which comprised Operation Linden], calculated until end March 2021 was estimated at just over £6 Million”. The Home Office holds no additional information.

What information her Department holds on how much it cost for the Independent Office for Police Conduct to carry out the Operation Amazon investigation linked to child sexual abuse in Rotherham.

I refer the Hon Member to letter sent to her from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) regarding the costs for Operation Linden. A copy of the letter was placed in the House Library. As noted in that letter, “the total operations cost of the 91 investigations [which comprised Operation Linden], calculated until end March 2021 was estimated at just over £6 Million”. The Home Office holds no additional information.

What the cost to the public purse was for the Independent Office for Police Conduct produce the Updated summary published for 2017 IOPC investigation linked to child sexual abuse in Rotherham.

On 19 September 2025, following requests from complainants and other interested persons for further detail, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) published a further summary of the Operation Amazon investigation, which formed part of the series of investigations under Operation Linden.The IOPC does not routinely publish the costs of individual investigations and reports. The Home Office holds no additional information.

With reference to her Department's transparency data entitled Non-technical summaries for project licences granted January – March 2025, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the 2,161,210 animals approved for use across 125 projects.

The Home Office is committed to ensuring that the use of animals in scientific research is strictly regulated and is only permitted where no suitable alternatives are available.In parallel, the Government is committed to working towards a vision of phasing out the use of animals in science. This Government will publish a strategy that describes how it will accelerate the development and uptake of alternative methods to animal research and testing later this year.All applications for animal research must conform with all legal requirements set out in the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. This includes, applying the principles of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement); the replacement of animals with alternatives, the reduction of the number of animals used to the minimum possible and the refinement of any techniques to reduce the harm suffered by the animals to the minimum.The Home Office only allows the use of animals if it can be demonstrated that the benefits outweigh the harms and the 3Rs have been fully applied. This ensures that any project is justified by the expected benefits for humans, animals or the environment.

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2025 to Question 21608 on Cephalopods and Shellfish: Animal Welfare, what estimate she has made of when the Animals in Science Committee will conclude its work on the future options for the regulation of the use of decapod crustaceans in scientific research.

The Home Office does not require advice from the Animals in Science Committee at this stage but will be guided by decisions made under the Animal Welfare Act regarding any consideration as to whether decapod crustaceans are regulated under the Animals (Scientific Procures) Act 1986.

What plans she has for the lethal dose 50 test.

The UK continues to lead the way in seeking the adoption internationally of improved testing methods that replace, reduce or refine the use of animals in scientific procedures.Some authorised medicines in the UK include quality control tests which require the use of animals, conducted to ensure the quality, safety, and efficacy of specific medicines. These tests account for the LD50 cases still conducted.UK regulators follow the principles of the 3Rs – to replace, reduce and refine the use of animals in tests. Significant progress has been made on validating alternative methods which do not use animals, including the possibility of replacing mice by in vitro suitable cell cultures in LD50-type testing methods, and the relevant regulatory quality standards and testing requirements have been revised accordingly for these specific medicines.The implementation of new tests for existing products must be a process that protects and prioritises human safety, often requiring extensive validation. It is not presently possible to replace all of the existing animal tests with in vitro non-animal replacements.

Pursuant to the Answer of 28 February 2025 to Question 30996, what powers the Ministers from the Department for Education have been delegated in relation to implementing IICSA.

The recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (the Inquiry) covered a broad range of issues and departmental responsibilities, including reforms to the child protection system, improving data, awareness-raising and supporting victims and survivors.Responding to child sexual abuse requires a cross-Government effort and the Home Office is working collaboratively with departments across Government, including the Department for Education, to take action on the findings and recommendations of the Inquiry.

Pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2025 to Question 28486 on Child Sexual Abuse Independent Panel Inquiry, which Ministers sit on the cross-Government ministerial group that are considering remaining Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse recommendations.

The Home Office set up an inter-ministerial group in late 2024, which I chaired the first meeting on the 12th November 2024.Ministers from the Home Office, Cabinet Office, Department for Education, Department of Health and Social Care, Ministry of Justice, Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, Department of Culture, Media and Support and Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government are involved in these discussions.This forum will continue to meet regularly to support the Government’s action on the IICSA recommendations and broader efforts to tackle child sexual abuse across government.

With reference to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse final report, published in October 2022, which Department has lead responsibility for implementing the recommendations of that report.

The Home Office has the lead responsibly across Government for tackling child sexual abuse. However, the final 20 recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse are wide-ranging and cut across multiple Government departments lead responsibilities. That is why a cross-Government ministerial group is continuing to consider and work through the remaining recommendations.The Home Secretary has committed, in her statement to Parliament on the 16 January 2025, that the Government will lay out a clear timetable for taking forward the 20 recommendations of the final report before Easter.

What the timetable is for the Animals in Science Committee to conclude its work on future options for the regulation of the use of decapod crustaceans in scientific research.

The Home Office will be guided by decisions made under the Animal Welfare Act regarding any consideration as to whether decapod crustaceans are regulated under the Animals (Scientific Procures) Act.The Home Office does not require additional advice from the Animals in Science Committee at this stage.

Whether she has had discussions with the (a) Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology and (b) Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on (i) coordinated action to deliver the phase out of animal testing and (ii) the potential merits of establishing a cross-Government taskforce.

This Government has made a commitment to the development of alternative methodologies to the use of animals in science and Lord Hanson has held discussions on the delivery of that commitment with Ministers for the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The plan we develop will maintain the UK’s place at the forefront of science development and innovation.In the limited circumstances where there is no animal alternative and procedures are required to deliver important benefits to people, the environment, and other animals then we deliver robust, rigorous and trustworthy regulation of those procedures.The Home Office assures that, in every research proposal: animals are replaced with non-animal alternatives wherever possible; that experiments are appropriate designed and analysed experiments that are robust, reproducible, and add to the knowledge base; and that we assure the methodologies use the latest technologies to minimise pain, suffering and distress and improve understanding of the impact of welfare on scientific outcomes.