Written questions by Braverman.

If she will hold discussions with the police on the potential merits of commissioning a further investigation into abuse at Grafton Close covering the full period the home was operational.

The Government is committed to tackling all forms of child sexual abuse and exploitation, ensuring victims and survivors receive appropriate care and support and pursuing offenders and bringing them to justice.Operation Fernbridge was a police‑led investigation that has now closed. The Operation resulted in one conviction for the sexual assault of a child at Grafton Close. Decisions about the scope, conduct and timing of individual police investigations are a matter for the police, who are operationally independent of Government.The Government expects the police to robustly investigate all allegations of child sexual abuse and are investing in a range of capabilities to improve the policing response. More generally, the Government is driving forward work to act on the recommendations and learnings from IICSA, as part of a broader comprehensive approach to preventing, identifying and responding to all forms of child sexual abuse and exploitation, as set out in in the ‘Tackling child sexual abuse: progress update’ published in April 2025.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of (a) the timeframe and (b) other aspects of Operation Fernbridge for investigating allegations of child sexual abuse at Grafton Close children’s home.

The Government is committed to tackling all forms of child sexual abuse and exploitation, ensuring victims and survivors receive appropriate care and support and pursuing offenders and bringing them to justice.Operation Fernbridge was a police‑led investigation that has now closed. The Operation resulted in one conviction for the sexual assault of a child at Grafton Close. Decisions about the scope, conduct and timing of individual police investigations are a matter for the police, who are operationally independent of Government.The Government expects the police to robustly investigate all allegations of child sexual abuse and are investing in a range of capabilities to improve the policing response. More generally, the Government is driving forward work to act on the recommendations and learnings from IICSA, as part of a broader comprehensive approach to preventing, identifying and responding to all forms of child sexual abuse and exploitation, as set out in in the ‘Tackling child sexual abuse: progress update’ published in April 2025.

How many illegal working investigations have been opened into parcel delivery firms in each of the last five years; and how many resulted in (a) civil penalties and (b) prosecutions.

The Home Office does not hold data on illegal working investigations at the level of detail requested. For civil penalties, illegal working enforcement activity is recorded by employment sector, not by specific sub sectors such as parcel delivery firms. For prosecution, criminal investigations relating to illegal working will be recorded in line with the primary offence under investigation, such as possession of a counterfeit identity document, or assisting unlawful immigration. As a result, we are unable to provide figures on the number of investigations opened into parcel delivery firms or the outcomes in terms of civil penalties or prosecutions.Any relevant activity would be captured under the broader business sectors of Warehousing, Distribution and Delivery or the primary offence under investigation.A breakdown of activity by sector is available in the Home Office publication which can be accessed at: Illegal working and enforcement activity to the end of December 2025: by illegal working sector - GOV.UK

Whether she has assessed the potential impact of courier networks using sub‑accounts within courier networks on trends in the level of people working illegally.

The Home Office has assessed the potential impact of courier networks using sub-accounts and the links to illegal working. We do not disclose operational detail as it would compromise our operational activity.

Whether her Department has received reports of (a) under‑18s, (b) individuals without a driving licence and (c) individuals without valid immigration status being engaged as couriers by (i) Evri and (ii) its subcontractors.

All employers are required to undertake right to work checks on any prospective employee to confirm their legal status. Clamping down on illegal working is a critical part of this government’s work to restore fairness, order and control within the immigration and asylum system. This includes measures in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act to ensure companies who utilise flexible worker models, as seen in the warehouse and delivery sector, are required to conduct right to work checks to prevent illegal working when they contract workers to provide services under their company name. This will include agency workers or self-employed individuals working in the gig economy. These new legislative measures will restrict the ability of employers to take advantage of illegal workers and encourage businesses to provide work opportunities to only those permitted to work in the UK. It will provide parity across industries and will set a level playing field for businesses to uphold their responsibilities to prevent illegal working in the UK. A consultation on how to implement these measures has been conducted, the response to which will be published in due course. In addition to the extended right to work scheme, and as already announced, digital right to work checks will be mandatory by the end of Parliament, making them easier and cheaper for businesses to do.

Whether she has made an assessment of compliance by Evri and its subcontractors with statutory right‑to‑work checks.

All employers are required to undertake right to work checks on any prospective employee to confirm their legal status. Clamping down on illegal working is a critical part of this government’s work to restore fairness, order and control within the immigration and asylum system. This includes measures in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act to ensure companies who utilise flexible worker models, as seen in the warehouse and delivery sector, are required to conduct right to work checks to prevent illegal working when they contract workers to provide services under their company name. This will include agency workers or self-employed individuals working in the gig economy. These new legislative measures will restrict the ability of employers to take advantage of illegal workers and encourage businesses to provide work opportunities to only those permitted to work in the UK. It will provide parity across industries and will set a level playing field for businesses to uphold their responsibilities to prevent illegal working in the UK. A consultation on how to implement these measures has been conducted, the response to which will be published in due course. In addition to the extended right to work scheme, and as already announced, digital right to work checks will be mandatory by the end of Parliament, making them easier and cheaper for businesses to do.

What her policy is on silent prayer and silent thought.

The Government is committed to protecting freedom of expression while ensuring that individuals can access abortion services without harassment or intimidation.Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPO), as introduced by the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, allow local authorities to deal with a particular nuisance or problem in a specific area that is detrimental to the local community’s quality of life, by imposing conditions on the use of that area which apply to everyone. It is an offence for a person, without a reasonable excuse, to do anything they are prohibited from doing by a PSPO or to fail to comply with a requirement in the PSPO. PSPOs have previously been applied by local authorities within the vicinity of abortion facilities, as a decision independent of government.On 31 October 2024, Section 9 of the Public Order Act 2023 came into force, introducing safe access zones of 150 metres around all abortion clinics in England and Wales. Within these zones, it is an offence to intentionally or recklessly influence someone’s decision to use or provide abortion services, obstruct them, or cause harassment or distress. Ministers cannot comment on individual cases.The legislation on safe access zones does not specify behaviours; it is for the police, Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and courts, who are operationally independent, to determine whether an act meets the threshold. CPS guidance confirms that vigils or silent prayer could fall within scope depending on intent and circumstances (in annex A): https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/offences-during-protests-demonstrations-or-campaigns.The Home Office works with the College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs’ Council to ensure officers receive appropriate training and guidance on public order powers and human rights obligations. The College of Policing produces the Public Order Public Safety authorised professional practice (APP) which covers policing of safe access zones.

Whether her Department has provided guidance to police forces on their approach towards (a) Isabel Vaughan-Spruce and (b) people engaging in silent thought, absent of any accompanying behaviour, near to abortion facilities.

The Government is committed to protecting freedom of expression while ensuring that individuals can access abortion services without harassment or intimidation.Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPO), as introduced by the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, allow local authorities to deal with a particular nuisance or problem in a specific area that is detrimental to the local community’s quality of life, by imposing conditions on the use of that area which apply to everyone. It is an offence for a person, without a reasonable excuse, to do anything they are prohibited from doing by a PSPO or to fail to comply with a requirement in the PSPO. PSPOs have previously been applied by local authorities within the vicinity of abortion facilities, as a decision independent of government.On 31 October 2024, Section 9 of the Public Order Act 2023 came into force, introducing safe access zones of 150 metres around all abortion clinics in England and Wales. Within these zones, it is an offence to intentionally or recklessly influence someone’s decision to use or provide abortion services, obstruct them, or cause harassment or distress. Ministers cannot comment on individual cases.The legislation on safe access zones does not specify behaviours; it is for the police, Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and courts, who are operationally independent, to determine whether an act meets the threshold. CPS guidance confirms that vigils or silent prayer could fall within scope depending on intent and circumstances (in annex A): https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/offences-during-protests-demonstrations-or-campaigns.The Home Office works with the College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs’ Council to ensure officers receive appropriate training and guidance on public order powers and human rights obligations. The College of Policing produces the Public Order Public Safety authorised professional practice (APP) which covers policing of safe access zones.

What steps she has taken to ensure that police officers receive adequate training and guidance to enable them to maintain public order while respecting freedom of (a) expression, (b) religion and belief and (c) thought.

The Government is committed to protecting freedom of expression while ensuring that individuals can access abortion services without harassment or intimidation.Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPO), as introduced by the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, allow local authorities to deal with a particular nuisance or problem in a specific area that is detrimental to the local community’s quality of life, by imposing conditions on the use of that area which apply to everyone. It is an offence for a person, without a reasonable excuse, to do anything they are prohibited from doing by a PSPO or to fail to comply with a requirement in the PSPO. PSPOs have previously been applied by local authorities within the vicinity of abortion facilities, as a decision independent of government.On 31 October 2024, Section 9 of the Public Order Act 2023 came into force, introducing safe access zones of 150 metres around all abortion clinics in England and Wales. Within these zones, it is an offence to intentionally or recklessly influence someone’s decision to use or provide abortion services, obstruct them, or cause harassment or distress. Ministers cannot comment on individual cases.The legislation on safe access zones does not specify behaviours; it is for the police, Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and courts, who are operationally independent, to determine whether an act meets the threshold. CPS guidance confirms that vigils or silent prayer could fall within scope depending on intent and circumstances (in annex A): https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/offences-during-protests-demonstrations-or-campaigns.The Home Office works with the College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs’ Council to ensure officers receive appropriate training and guidance on public order powers and human rights obligations. The College of Policing produces the Public Order Public Safety authorised professional practice (APP) which covers policing of safe access zones.

What discussions her Department has had with police forces about the handling of antisocial behaviour cases where responsibility is deferred to housing management companies.

The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police, local authorities and other local agencies with a range of tools and powers that they can use to respond to anti-social behaviour. The powers in the 2014 Act are deliberately local in nature, and it is for local agencies to determine whether their use is appropriate in the specific circumstances.It is right that all relevant agencies have the right tools to tackle anti-social behaviour quickly and effectively. That is why, through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are enhancing the powers available to the police and other local agencies under the 2014 Act. This includes extending the power to issue closure notices to registered social housing providers. Currently only local authorities and police can issue closure notices. This is despite registered social housing providers often being the first agency to be aware of the ASB in question. Extending this power to social housing providers will help to save police and local authorities time as housing providers will be able to make applications directly.The Home Office regularly engages with police forces on a range of issues, including the handling of antisocial behaviour. This measure in the Crime and Policing Bill followed a consultation in 2023, which included responses from the police, and suggested several changes to the powers that could improve their application and effectiveness.

Whether her Department will review the classification of neighbour harassment involving intrusive CCTV surveillance.

The police have a range of powers to deal with any behaviour that causes harassment, alarm or distress to others. The Government fully supports the police in their use of these powers to maintain public order and keep communities safe.Individuals that use CCTV to film outside their property boundary have to comply fully with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has published guidance which details the obligations the CCTV user will need to comply with: https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/home-cctv-systems/.Where there is sufficient evidence of harassment or stalking from a domestic camera system, this may lead to prosecution for a criminal offence of harassment or stalking under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. In addition to the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, another potential remedy in civil law is the tort of private nuisance, which is a common law tort that relates to a person’s private rights in relation to land.

What information was held by the security services regarding Ali Harbi Ali from the five years between his engagement with Prevent and the murder of Sir David Amess.

Prevent has been an integral part of our counter-terrorism machinery for the last twenty years, supporting over 5,000 people away from radicalisation since the introduction of the Prevent duty in 2015.  Of course, we must continue to identify where Prevent has failed. However, significant improvements have been made to Prevent over the years since this Prevent case, and we continue to drive further change.The Prevent Learning Review and Lord Anderson’s review were both published by Government earlier this year, and can be found on GOV.UK (Prevent learning review: Sir David Amess attack - GOV.UK and Lessons for Prevent - GOV.UK). These show clearly where Prevent, policing and law enforcement partners must take action to strengthen their approach. Lord Anderson’s review in particular sets out the position in relation to Prevent and the Security Service and identifies some key areas of focus for further review.Sir David Amess was a valued colleague and a friend to many, and it is right that we seek to ensure such a terrible loss cannot happen again. The Home Secretary and I will work closely with the reviewer conducting the further overarching review to ensure that every avenue has been explored. It is important that the voice of the family is central to this process, and the Home Secretary will ensure they are kept up to date with the progress of the review.

If the Government will meet with the family of Sir David Amess to discuss the potential merits of a public inquiry into his murder; and what recent assessment has been made of the potential merits of such an inquiry.

Prevent has been an integral part of our counter-terrorism machinery for the last twenty years, supporting over 5,000 people away from radicalisation since the introduction of the Prevent duty in 2015.  Of course, we must continue to identify where Prevent has failed. However, significant improvements have been made to Prevent over the years since this Prevent case, and we continue to drive further change.The Prevent Learning Review and Lord Anderson’s review were both published by Government earlier this year, and can be found on GOV.UK (Prevent learning review: Sir David Amess attack - GOV.UK and Lessons for Prevent - GOV.UK). These show clearly where Prevent, policing and law enforcement partners must take action to strengthen their approach. Lord Anderson’s review in particular sets out the position in relation to Prevent and the Security Service and identifies some key areas of focus for further review.Sir David Amess was a valued colleague and a friend to many, and it is right that we seek to ensure such a terrible loss cannot happen again. The Home Secretary and I will work closely with the reviewer conducting the further overarching review to ensure that every avenue has been explored. It is important that the voice of the family is central to this process, and the Home Secretary will ensure they are kept up to date with the progress of the review.

Whether checks were undertaken with Ali Harbi Ali’s school in Croydon before he was permitted to exit the Prevent programme.

Prevent has been an integral part of our counter-terrorism machinery for the last twenty years, supporting over 5,000 people away from radicalisation since the introduction of the Prevent duty in 2015.  Of course, we must continue to identify where Prevent has failed. However, significant improvements have been made to Prevent over the years since this Prevent case, and we continue to drive further change.The Prevent Learning Review and Lord Anderson’s review were both published by Government earlier this year, and can be found on GOV.UK (Prevent learning review: Sir David Amess attack - GOV.UK and Lessons for Prevent - GOV.UK). These show clearly where Prevent, policing and law enforcement partners must take action to strengthen their approach. Lord Anderson’s review in particular sets out the position in relation to Prevent and the Security Service and identifies some key areas of focus for further review.Sir David Amess was a valued colleague and a friend to many, and it is right that we seek to ensure such a terrible loss cannot happen again. The Home Secretary and I will work closely with the reviewer conducting the further overarching review to ensure that every avenue has been explored. It is important that the voice of the family is central to this process, and the Home Secretary will ensure they are kept up to date with the progress of the review.

Pursuant to the Answer of 2 September 2025 to Question 69736 on Counter-terrorism, if she will take steps to ensure that the senior figure who is scrutinising all the previous reviews will (a) have access to documentation and (b) be able to interview people involved in (i) the Prevent programme and (ii) security services who dealt with Ali Harbi Ali.

Prevent has been an integral part of our counter-terrorism machinery for the last twenty years, supporting over 5,000 people away from radicalisation since the introduction of the Prevent duty in 2015.  Of course, we must continue to identify where Prevent has failed. However, significant improvements have been made to Prevent over the years since this Prevent case, and we continue to drive further change.The Prevent Learning Review and Lord Anderson’s review were both published by Government earlier this year, and can be found on GOV.UK (Prevent learning review: Sir David Amess attack - GOV.UK and Lessons for Prevent - GOV.UK). These show clearly where Prevent, policing and law enforcement partners must take action to strengthen their approach. Lord Anderson’s review in particular sets out the position in relation to Prevent and the Security Service and identifies some key areas of focus for further review.Sir David Amess was a valued colleague and a friend to many, and it is right that we seek to ensure such a terrible loss cannot happen again. The Home Secretary and I will work closely with the reviewer conducting the further overarching review to ensure that every avenue has been explored. It is important that the voice of the family is central to this process, and the Home Secretary will ensure they are kept up to date with the progress of the review.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Prevent programme in the case of Ali Harbi Ali.

Prevent has been an integral part of our counter-terrorism machinery for the last twenty years, supporting over 5,000 people away from radicalisation since the introduction of the Prevent duty in 2015.  Of course, we must continue to identify where Prevent has failed. However, significant improvements have been made to Prevent over the years since this Prevent case, and we continue to drive further change.The Prevent Learning Review and Lord Anderson’s review were both published by Government earlier this year, and can be found on GOV.UK (Prevent learning review: Sir David Amess attack - GOV.UK and Lessons for Prevent - GOV.UK). These show clearly where Prevent, policing and law enforcement partners must take action to strengthen their approach. Lord Anderson’s review in particular sets out the position in relation to Prevent and the Security Service and identifies some key areas of focus for further review.Sir David Amess was a valued colleague and a friend to many, and it is right that we seek to ensure such a terrible loss cannot happen again. The Home Secretary and I will work closely with the reviewer conducting the further overarching review to ensure that every avenue has been explored. It is important that the voice of the family is central to this process, and the Home Secretary will ensure they are kept up to date with the progress of the review.

What social media checks were carried out on Ali Harbi Ali (a) during and (b) after his involvement with the Prevent programme.

Prevent has been an integral part of our counter-terrorism machinery for the last twenty years, supporting over 5,000 people away from radicalisation since the introduction of the Prevent duty in 2015.  Of course, we must continue to identify where Prevent has failed. However, significant improvements have been made to Prevent over the years since this Prevent case, and we continue to drive further change.The Prevent Learning Review and Lord Anderson’s review were both published by Government earlier this year, and can be found on GOV.UK (Prevent learning review: Sir David Amess attack - GOV.UK and Lessons for Prevent - GOV.UK). These show clearly where Prevent, policing and law enforcement partners must take action to strengthen their approach. Lord Anderson’s review in particular sets out the position in relation to Prevent and the Security Service and identifies some key areas of focus for further review.Sir David Amess was a valued colleague and a friend to many, and it is right that we seek to ensure such a terrible loss cannot happen again. The Home Secretary and I will work closely with the reviewer conducting the further overarching review to ensure that every avenue has been explored. It is important that the voice of the family is central to this process, and the Home Secretary will ensure they are kept up to date with the progress of the review.

Whether she plans to allocate additional resources to rural police forces to help tackle rural crime.

The Government is committed to giving police the resources they need to tackle a range of different crimes. The Chancellor has announced a real terms increase in police spending power over the next three years. The allocation of funding to police forces remains an important consideration and as with previous years, more details on force funding allocations for 2026-27, including decisions on police force funding allocations, will be made via the provisional police funding settlement later in the year.It is the responsibility of Chief Constables and locally elected Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs), including Mayors who exercise PCC or equivalent functions, to take decisions around their resourcing. They are best placed to make decisions with their communities based on their local knowledge and experience.Through our Safer Streets Mission, rural communities will be safeguarded, with tougher measures to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, strengthened neighbourhood policing and stronger measures to prevent farm theft and fly-tipping. The Home Office have worked closely with the National Police Chief’s Council to deliver their updated Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy for 2025-2029. The strategy will set out operational and organisational policing priorities in respect of tackling crimes that predominantly affect rural communities.

When the decision was made to house asylum seekers at 286-288 London Road, Waterlooville.

Where the Home Office needs to utilise Dispersed Accommodation, it does so in accordance with the principle of Full Dispersal, which was announced in 2022 to ensure that asylum seekers were more fairly distributed across the United Kingdom.This will reduce our reliance on hotels in the short term whilst we continue our work to fix the broken asylum system, increasing decision making, reducing the supported population and removing people with no right to be here.The safety and wellbeing of the local communities in which asylum accommodation is located is of paramount importance. When an individual claims asylum, the Home Office will conduct mandatory identity, criminality and security checks. Biographic and biometric data are checked against relevant Home Office systems and police criminality databases including domestic and international data.Data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation, including hotels, and by local authority can be found within the Asy_D11 tab for our most recent statistics release: Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK.The Home Office publishes information on asylum expenditure in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts at Home Office annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK.

Whether she plans to take steps to allow objections to the decision to house asylum seekers at 286-288 London Road, Waterlooville.

Where the Home Office needs to utilise Dispersed Accommodation, it does so in accordance with the principle of Full Dispersal, which was announced in 2022 to ensure that asylum seekers were more fairly distributed across the United Kingdom.This will reduce our reliance on hotels in the short term whilst we continue our work to fix the broken asylum system, increasing decision making, reducing the supported population and removing people with no right to be here.The safety and wellbeing of the local communities in which asylum accommodation is located is of paramount importance. When an individual claims asylum, the Home Office will conduct mandatory identity, criminality and security checks. Biographic and biometric data are checked against relevant Home Office systems and police criminality databases including domestic and international data.Data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation, including hotels, and by local authority can be found within the Asy_D11 tab for our most recent statistics release: Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK.The Home Office publishes information on asylum expenditure in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts at Home Office annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK.