Written questions by Gibson.

What progress has been made on the development of a strategy for asylum accommodation; if she will list the other Government departments that are involved in this work; and what steps her Department is taking to consult (a) local authorities, (b) the devolved administrations and (c) relevant community organisations during the development of the strategy.

As part of our commitment to end the use of all asylum hotels and reduce costs for taxpayers, the Home Office has been working in collaboration with other government departments and local authorities to develop a more sustainable model of accommodation which seeks to reduce competition for affordable housing and help deliver new supply.As part of this, the Home Office’s Asylum Accommodation Programme is now working in collaboration with other government departments to deliver a range of sites, including potential former military sites, that contribute to a more flexible estate. Decisions on the use of alternative asylum accommodation sites will be made on a site-by-site basis.The government is also investing £500 million to develop this new, more sustainable accommodation model. This funding will be delivered by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in partnership with the Home Office and local councils, in order to deliver better outcomes for communities and taxpayers. This new funding will complement ongoing Home Office reforms to the asylum accommodation estate, including pilot schemes to repurpose derelict buildings and to develop other community-led alternatives to the use of hotels. We continue to keep the strategy under review as progress continues.

What steps her Department is taking to reduce the incidence of domestic abuse among 16 to 19 year-olds.

Acknowledging the complex nature of domestic abuse, the ONS recently revised a question module in the Crime Survey for England and Wales to improve the accuracy and depth of data collected on domestic abuse. According to the new survey module, 18.7% of 16 to 19-year-olds experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2024.The Home Secretary has been clear that teenage relationship abuse is an extremely important issue the government is tackling. Current CPS guidance applies to all cases of domestic abuse, irrespective of the age of the perpetrator or victim, meaning that protective orders such as Restraining Orders can be implemented to protect victims.In the upcoming VAWG Strategy, we will also outline steps we are taking to respond to teenage relationship abuse - including through prevention and supporting victims further.

What recent data her Department holds on the prevalence of intimate partner violence among young people aged 16 to 19.

Acknowledging the complex nature of domestic abuse, the ONS recently revised a question module in the Crime Survey for England and Wales to improve the accuracy and depth of data collected on domestic abuse. According to the new survey module, 18.7% of 16 to 19-year-olds experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2024.The Home Secretary has been clear that teenage relationship abuse is an extremely important issue the government is tackling. Current CPS guidance applies to all cases of domestic abuse, irrespective of the age of the perpetrator or victim, meaning that protective orders such as Restraining Orders can be implemented to protect victims.In the upcoming VAWG Strategy, we will also outline steps we are taking to respond to teenage relationship abuse - including through prevention and supporting victims further.

What assessment she has made of the prevalence of cryptocurrency use in illicit finance; and what steps she is taking to reduce this activity.

Directed by the Economic Crime Plan 2 (and supported by an Economic Crime Levy funding) UK law enforcement is investing in improving both its capacity and capability to investigate the criminal use of cryptoassets. This includes:Investing in specialist capability in the NCA and partner agencies, including the recruitment of an additional 475 Financial Crime investigators (292 currently in post) and developing an improved crypto track and trace capability which will go live in December 2025.Funding public-private crypto collaboration teams in police forces and ROCUs through the Asset Recovery Incentivisation SchemeNew training and upskilling that has been rolled out to improve law enforcement officers’ understanding of cryptoassets, supported by the provision of specialist tooling (i.e. blockchain analytics tools).Building a new crypto-specific public/ private partnership within the existing Joint Money Laundering Taskforce structure in order to understand the threat and foment various joint initiatives (including around data sharing).Developing a multi-agency operational crypto cell to ensure that knowledge and abilities in investigating cryptoassets are pooled together, and that all available tools and powers and are exploited efficiently.Designing a system-wide strategy, with an accompanying roadmap of activities required to prevent and disrupt digital asset-enabled crime impacting the UK. The focus is on ensuring system co-ordination and collaboration, keeping the public / consumers safe, effectively disrupting criminals through robust enforcement and building global co-operation to effectively share information and gain a consistency in regulatory standards.

How many cryptocurrency-related suspicious activity reports were filed with the National Crime Agency in each of the last three years.

The number of cryptocurrency-related suspicious activity reports filed in each of the last three years were: FY 2021/22 – 73,652FY 2022/23 – 78,132FY 2023/24 – 70,222 Figures for FY 2024/25 are not yet available.

How many reports of fraud involving impersonation of government agencies targeting pensioners have been recorded in each of the last five years by region.

The Home Office collects data on the number of fraud and computer misuse cases reported to Action Fraud that have been recorded as crimes by the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB). Information on the victims of these cases is not held.Action Fraud reports of fraud and computer misuse offences are published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) quarterly in the Crime in England and Wales tables, which can be found at this link: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/crimeinenglandandwalesappendixtables

What recent steps she has taken with police forces to ensure the accurate collection of data on the abuse of older people; and if she will publish the most recent data held by her Department for Wiltshire.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS), who are responsible for the publication of crime statistics in England and Wales has explored the feasibility of extending the Crime Survey for England and Wales, to cover the population resident in care homes and the use of other sources to improve coverage of elder abuse in its crime statistics. A report on this work has been published and can be found here:https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/articles/incorporatingdataoncrimesexperiencedbycarehomeresidentsintocrimestatistics/2023-12-01

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that the abuse of older people in included in the upcoming violence against women and girls strategy.

This Government recognises the devastating impact domestic abuse can have on victims and is committed to tackling abuse in all its forms. We know that whilst anyone can experience domestic abuse, for older victims, abuse may be more hidden or compounded by other age-related issues such as mental or physical ill health. The upcoming Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy will reflect the varied experiences and needs of different victim cohorts.We are providing Hourglass, a charity dedicated to addressing the neglect and abuse of older people, with £532,121 in 2025-26. This funding represents a 23% uplift to the previous financial year and will provide helpline and advocacy support for older victims across England and Wales.

Whether she plans to commemorate UN World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on 15 June 2025.

The Government is clear that violence and abuse towards anybody is unacceptable. Whilst anybody can suffer from domestic abuse, for older victims, we know that abuse may be more disguised or compounded by other age-related factors, such as ill health, or through other forms such as economic abuse.In recognition of this, the Home Office provides funding to Hourglass, a specialist elder abuse charity, and has done so for a number of years, and have increased their funding this year, to enhance their helpline, provide casework support, and train specialist Independent Domestic Violence Advisers. We remain committed to tackling all forms of violence and abuse.

What steps she is taking through the criminal justice system to help tackle the abuse of older people.

The Government is clear that violence and abuse towards anybody is unacceptable. Whilst anybody can suffer from domestic abuse, for older victims, we know that abuse may be more disguised or compounded by other age-related factors, such as ill health, or through other forms such as economic abuse.In recognition of this, the Home Office provides funding to Hourglass, a specialist elder abuse charity, and has done so for a number of years, and have increased their funding this year, to enhance their helpline, provide casework support, and train specialist Independent Domestic Violence Advisers. We remain committed to tackling all forms of violence and abuse.

Whether she has had discussions with (a) animal welfare activists and (b) Marshall Bio Resources on the mass rearing of beagles for the purpose of animal testing.

The Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) with the Home Office and Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs involvement is leading on a strategy to accelerate the development, validation and uptake of alternatives to animal testing which is scheduled for publication later this year.Pharmaceutical legislation requires that, before a medicine can be approved for testing in humans, it is tested in a rodent and non-rodent species under international guidelines. This may include dogs as an appropriate model. The majority of Beagles bred for use in science (85%) are for the purposes of regulatory testing under legislation on pharmaceutical products for human use. The number of Beagles bred is largely determined by the forecast needs of the pharmaceutical industry that require testing of medicines.The Home Office regulator ensures compliance of all work licensed with the rigorous requirements of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act. The number of animals used in scientific research and testing, including Beagles, is published annually at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/animals-in-science-regulation-unit#statistics.The Home Office assures that, in every research proposal, animals are replaced with non-animal alternatives wherever possible, the number of animals are reduced to the minimum necessary to achieve the result sought, and that, for those animals which must be used, procedures are refined as much as possible to minimise their suffering.

What steps she is taking to improve communication on the validity of legacy paper documents for people who do not have an e-visa.

An extensive communications campaign is being delivered in support of the transition from physical immigration documents to eVisas, to raise awareness of eVisas, build understanding of how it applies to visa holders and checkers, and encourage them to take action. This includes activity and messaging specifically targeting biometric residence permit (BRP) holding customers to register for a UKVI account by the end of 2024, when most BRPs expire, if they were not automatically provided with a UKVI account and eVisa when their most recent immigration application was approved.Our communications also explain that customers with older forms of evidence of immigration status, such as ink stamps in passports, will still be able to prove their rights as they do today, using their legacy documents where these are permitted. However, we encourage those individuals to transition to an eVisa, which offers a range of benefits to customers and status checkers.The dedicated eVisa communications activity has run from Spring 2024 onwards and has included regular updates to GOV.UK, including the establishment of a dedicated eVisa webpage at www.gov.uk/eVisa, and online resources such as eVisa support videos, direct messaging to customers via email and text message, and a wide-ranging programme of engagement with relevant stakeholders and international carriers. A national eVisa advertising campaign to raise awareness of these changes commenced on 10 October 2024.All communications activity has directed visa holders to www.gov.uk/eVisa, and, where appropriate, has highlighted the range of available support.