Written questions by Joseph.

What plans her Department has for (a) small boats, (b) dinghies and (c) other vessels that are seized for trying to transport migrants into the UK.

All vessels that have been subject to seizure, are held by Border Force until the completion of criminal investigations and any resulting legal proceedings. The majority of boats, dinghies and other vessels are not fit to ever go to sea again, as they arrive in very poor condition and may be damaged during the recovery process. The boats, dinghies and vessels are disposed of by Border Force’s approved contractors and where appropriate, any suitable materials are recycled.

What discussions she has had with local authorities in areas where the EU Entry/Exit System will come into force on 12 October 2025.

The EU Entry/Exit System will be implemented at the juxtaposed border controls in the UK. Ministers and officials have been working closely with key affected stakeholders to ensure the necessary preparations are in place. This includes frequent engagement between the Department for Transport and local authorities including Kent County Council.

With reference to her Department's White Paper entitled Restoring Control over the Immigration System, published on 12 May 2025, what discussions she has had with the British National (Overseas) (BHO) community on the potential merits of exempting BNO visa holders from the proposed extension of the settlement qualifying period.

The Government is committed to supporting members of the Hong Kong community who have relocated to the UK and those who may come here in future.Further details of all measures announced in the Immigration White Paper will be set out in the normal way in due course, and where necessary, will be subject to consultation.We regularly engage with representatives of the Hong Kong diaspora in the UK on issues related to the BN(O) visa and will continue to do so.

What steps she is taking to phase out (a) animal testing and (b) testing on beagles at (i) MBR Acres and (ii) other facilities.

This Government has made a commitment to the long-term goal of phasing out animal testing in science and research. An immediate ban is not presently feasible due to international regulatory requirements for the safety testing of chemicals and medicines. Such tests may include dogs as an appropriate model. The number of Beagles bred is largely determined by the forecast needs of the pharmaceutical industry for safe and effective medicines.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.The National Centre for the 3Rs have a project to create a Virtual second species to assess potential toxicity before commencing clinical trials. This is a cutting-edge initiative to develop computational models that simulate dog biology, aiming to ultimately replace the use of dogs in drug safety testing. It brings together pharmaceutical companies and researchers to create more ethical, accurate, and efficient alternatives.The Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) is engaging with stakeholders to finalise a strategy to accelerate the development, validation and uptake of alternatives to animal testing which is scheduled for publication later this year.

What steps she is taking to tackle the use of catapults against (a) people, (b) animals and (c) property in Ashford constituency.

We are clear that catapults should not be used for illegal purposes, whether against wildlife, people or property.The law already provides the police with powers relating to the use of any item as an offensive weapon including a catapult, and also if used in anti-social behaviour or for criminal damage.Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996, there are also offences around injuring and inflicting unnecessary suffering on wildlife. These measures give the police powers to deal with cases where wildlife is attacked, including cases involving the misuse of catapults.We continue to keep all relevant legislation under review in the interests of public safety.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of (a) police officers and (b) public-facing police staff participating in mandatory autism awareness and sensitivity training.

Training on mental ill health and autism is already integrated throughout the initial police learning programme which all new recruits must complete.Policing is operationally independent, and it is a matter for the chief constables of each force to decide which additional training their officers should undertake.The National Police Chiefs’ Council has produced an e-learning course on neurodiversity, which are available to all police officers.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding levels for Kent Police.

This Government is committed to ensuring that the police have the resources they need to tackle crime effectively.Kent Police’s funding will be up to £431.5m in 2024-25. This is in addition to £4m provided for the 2024-25 pay award which has been allocated outside of the police funding settlement.As announced at the Autumn Budget 2024, the settlement will increase the core government grant for police forces and help support frontline policing levels across the country.Force level funding allocations for the financial year 2025-26 will be confirmed at the forthcoming police funding settlement. Funding for future years beyond 2025-26 will be set out in phase 2 of the Spending Review.

What (a) funding her Department is providing and (b) steps her Department is taking to help prevent crime in (i) Ashford constituency and (ii) Kent.

The 2024-25 police funding settlement provides funding of up to £18.5 billion for the policing system in England and Wales. Kent Police’s funding will be up to £431.5m in 2024-25. This is in addition to £4m provided for the 2024-25 pay award which has been allocated outside of the police funding settlement. Across all rounds of the Safer Streets Fund, and the Safety of Women at Night Fund, the Kent police force area has received just under £3.5 million, supporting 12 projects. This includes just over £760,000 through the latest, fifth round of funding to deliver three projects across various locations, including in Folkestone, Chatham, Sittingbourne and Sheerness, which have a focus on preventing anti-social behaviour, violence against women and girls and neighbourhood crime. The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) in Kent has been allocated £1,568,614 to deliver the Hotspot Response programme in 24-25. This programme is a combination of additional, high visibility patrols targeted to the exact locations where they are needed most (‘hotspots’), and funding of problem-oriented policing tactics. Problem oriented policing aims to tackle the underlying drivers of crime using a comprehensive menu of policing interventions. More broadly, this Government will treat tackling violence against women and girls as a national emergency and we will use every tool to target perpetrators and address the root causes of violence.As part of the Government’s Safer Streets mission, the Home Secretary has made a clear commitment to strengthen neighbourhood policing through the introduction of a Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, which includes getting thousands of neighbourhood police personnel back on the beat, giving local people a names officer who they can turn to when things go wrong, and cracking down on the street crime, shop theft and anti-social behaviour which makes communities feel less safe.

What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of levels of neighbourhood policing in (a) Ashford constituency and (b) Kent.

The 2024-25 police funding settlement provides funding of up to £18.5 billion for the policing system in England and Wales. Kent Police’s funding will be up to £431.5m in 2024-25. This is in addition to £4m provided for the 2024-25 pay award which has been allocated outside of the police funding settlement. Across all rounds of the Safer Streets Fund, and the Safety of Women at Night Fund, the Kent police force area has received just under £3.5 million, supporting 12 projects. This includes just over £760,000 through the latest, fifth round of funding to deliver three projects across various locations, including in Folkestone, Chatham, Sittingbourne and Sheerness, which have a focus on preventing anti-social behaviour, violence against women and girls and neighbourhood crime. The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) in Kent has been allocated £1,568,614 to deliver the Hotspot Response programme in 24-25. This programme is a combination of additional, high visibility patrols targeted to the exact locations where they are needed most (‘hotspots’), and funding of problem-oriented policing tactics. Problem oriented policing aims to tackle the underlying drivers of crime using a comprehensive menu of policing interventions. More broadly, this Government will treat tackling violence against women and girls as a national emergency and we will use every tool to target perpetrators and address the root causes of violence.As part of the Government’s Safer Streets mission, the Home Secretary has made a clear commitment to strengthen neighbourhood policing through the introduction of a Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, which includes getting thousands of neighbourhood police personnel back on the beat, giving local people a names officer who they can turn to when things go wrong, and cracking down on the street crime, shop theft and anti-social behaviour which makes communities feel less safe.

What steps her Department is taking to help tackle street crime against women and girls in (a) Ashford constituency and (b) Kent.

The 2024-25 police funding settlement provides funding of up to £18.5 billion for the policing system in England and Wales. Kent Police’s funding will be up to £431.5m in 2024-25. This is in addition to £4m provided for the 2024-25 pay award which has been allocated outside of the police funding settlement. Across all rounds of the Safer Streets Fund, and the Safety of Women at Night Fund, the Kent police force area has received just under £3.5 million, supporting 12 projects. This includes just over £760,000 through the latest, fifth round of funding to deliver three projects across various locations, including in Folkestone, Chatham, Sittingbourne and Sheerness, which have a focus on preventing anti-social behaviour, violence against women and girls and neighbourhood crime. The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) in Kent has been allocated £1,568,614 to deliver the Hotspot Response programme in 24-25. This programme is a combination of additional, high visibility patrols targeted to the exact locations where they are needed most (‘hotspots’), and funding of problem-oriented policing tactics. Problem oriented policing aims to tackle the underlying drivers of crime using a comprehensive menu of policing interventions. More broadly, this Government will treat tackling violence against women and girls as a national emergency and we will use every tool to target perpetrators and address the root causes of violence.As part of the Government’s Safer Streets mission, the Home Secretary has made a clear commitment to strengthen neighbourhood policing through the introduction of a Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, which includes getting thousands of neighbourhood police personnel back on the beat, giving local people a names officer who they can turn to when things go wrong, and cracking down on the street crime, shop theft and anti-social behaviour which makes communities feel less safe.

What discussions she has had with police forces on the enforcement of the law governing the use of electric bikes and scooters.

Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for this Government, and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission to take back our streets. The Government will give police the powers they need to take illegal, dangerous and antisocial vehicles off the streets for good and quickly destroy the vehicles they seize from offenders. We will set out more information in due course.However, the use of those powers and the enforcement of road traffic law, including in relation to the anti-social use of electric bikes and electric scooters, remains an operational matter for Chief Officers who will decide how to deploy available resources, taking into account any specific local problems and demands.

What steps she is taking to help tackle anti-social behaviour associated with the use of electric bikes and scooters in Ashford constituency.

Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for this Government, and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission to take back our streets. The Government will give police the powers they need to take illegal, dangerous and antisocial vehicles off the streets for good and quickly destroy the vehicles they seize from offenders. We will set out more information in due course.However, the use of those powers and the enforcement of road traffic law, including in relation to the anti-social use of electric bikes and electric scooters, remains an operational matter for Chief Officers who will decide how to deploy available resources, taking into account any specific local problems and demands.