Written questions by Dhesi.

What recent steps has she taken to ensure the safety of women detained in immigration detention centres.

The Government keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a range of experts and stakeholders.We remain focused on the specific needs for women in our care and all our immigration removal centres (IRCs) are operated in line with the Detention Centre Rules 2001, published operating standards for IRCs and Detention Services Orders; a framework which ensures the safety and security of those detained in our care.All staff working with women receive appropriate gender specific training, in addition to any generic training they receive when they undergo initial training. This includes equality and diversity, human trafficking, and modern slavery. Detention Services Order 06/2016 ‘Women in the immigration removal estate’ sets out the processes that are undertaken in IRCs to ensure that the needs of women are identified and appropriately met and their rights to dignity and privacy are upheld. In addition, all Home Office staff working in the detention system are given training and support to identify and act upon indicators of vulnerability at the earliest opportunity.

What recent discussions she has had with local authorities on the provision of services to prevent knife crime among young people.

This Government have set an ambitious but essential target to halve knife crime over this decade and we are making progress: since the start of this Parliament, knife crime has fallen by 8% and knife homicides are down by 27%.To achieve this ambition we are engaging with partners across the system both to address knife crime and address the root causes of knife crime. This includes local authorities who play a vital role.This role is formalised within the Serious Violence Duty which places a statutory requirement on a range of public sector bodies, including local authorities, to work collaboratively, analyse the local problem, and put in place a strategy to prevent and reduce serious violence. Community Safety Partnerships, led by the local authority and whose partners match those subject to the Serious Violence Duty must also comply with these requirements.The Home Office had discussions and worked with relevant local authorities to deliver the extended knife surrender arrangements which the Government ran in July 2025 and covered various locations in London, West Midlands and Greater Manchester. The extended surrender arrangements involved the use of a mobile surrender van and 37 bespoke weapons surrender bins and a total of a 3,570 knives and weapons were surrendered through these arrangements.The Home Office maintain regular discussions with local authorities through Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) and Young Futures Panels partnership arrangements to support the effective delivery of services to prevent knife crime among young people.

What recent steps she has taken to prevent crime relating to wildlife.

The Home Office worked in partnership with Defra to support the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) in delivering their Rural and Wildlife Crime strategy for 2025-28. The Strategy – which was published on 25 November -provides a framework through which policing, and its partners can work together to tackle the most prevalent threats and emerging issues including wildlife crime.We also fund the National Wildlife Crime Unit who provide intelligence, analysis and investigative assistance to forces and other law enforcement agencies across the UK to support them in investigating wildlife crime.We are ensuring forces have the tools and resources they need to deal with rural crime including wildlife crime. We are on track to deliver an additional 3,000 neighbourhood officers by March.

With reference to page 37 of the Animals in Science Regulation Unit Annual Report 2024, published in December 2025, what specific issues the item "significant issues of concern regarding farm and large animal facilities" refers to.

All licensed establishments must uphold the standards for animal welfare set out in ASPA and in the Code of Practice for the Housing and Care of Animals Bred, Supplied or Used for Scientific Purposes. The Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) takes instances of potential non-compliance very seriously and thoroughly investigates all non-compliance concerns.ASRU publishes an annual report that sets out all confirmed non‑compliance cases along with any enforcement actions taken (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/animals-in-science-regulation-unit#annual-reports).With reference to page 37 of the ASRU Annual Report 2024, the item “significant issues of concern regarding farm and large animal facilities” refers specifically to a breach of Establishment Licence Standard Condition 4.7. This condition requires licence holders to maintain standards of care and accommodation set out in the Code of Practice available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/code-of-practice-for-the-housing-and-care-of-animals-bred-supplied-or-used-for-scientific-purposes.ASRU’s published Compliance Policy (www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-testing-and-research-compliance-with-aspa) provides information on how the regulator identifies, investigates and responds to potential incidents of non‑compliance, and how proportionate measures and sanctions are applied where breaches are found which seek to prevent future recurrence.

What steps her Department will be taking to prevent establishments licensed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 from keeping animals in sub-standard facilities.

All licenced establishments must meet the minimum required standards for care and accommodation, as set out in the Code of Practice for the Housing and Care of Animals Bred, Supplied or Used for Scientific Purposes (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/code-of-practice-for-the-housing-and-care-of-animals-bred-supplied-or-used-for-scientific-purposes).The Home Office Regulator conducts both announced and unannounced audits to assure establishments’ compliance with the required standards in the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, the Code of Practice and their individual licence conditions.In confirmed cases of non-compliance, the Regulator applies remedies aimed at minimising the risk of future recurrence, in line with its compliance policy (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-testing-and-research-compliance-with-aspa). The Regulator will continue to publish all cases of non-compliance in its Annual Reports, where it considers root causes of and key learnings from non-compliance and makes recommendations to reduce future risk. (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/animals-in-science-regulation-unit-annual-reports).

With reference to the Animals in Science Regulation Unit Annual Report 2024, published in December 2025, what were the reasons for three establishment licences being revoked.

The Animals in Science Regulation Unit Annual Report is the regulator’s public account of its work overseeing the use of animals in science under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. It includes information on licensing, compliance activity and enforcement outcomes to provide transparency and assurance about the operation of the regulatory framework.The three establishment licences reported as revoked in 2024 were withdrawn because the establishments had stopped conducting regulated procedures under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. In such cases, licence revocation is an administrative step, confirming that an establishment is no longer required to maintain a licence.

Which police forces in England do not require their officers to declare membership of any potentially influential organisation that is hierarchical, has confidential membership and requires members to support and protect each other; and what assessment she has made of the compatibility of membership of such organisations with adherence to the College of Policing's ethical policing principles.

All police officers are under a statutory obligation to abstain from any activity which is likely to interfere with the impartial discharge of their duties. Failure to do so could lead to disciplinary action being taken.The Home Office does not hold information on individual force policies regarding membership of organisations.However, the College of Policing’s Authorised Professional Practice (APP) on counter corruption sets out that, as part of force notifiable association policies, officers should declare association with any individual, group, organisation or society which may cause a conflict of interest.The ethical policing principles set out by the College of Policing are designed to support decision-making that is fair, unbiased, and open and honest about the reasons for decisions. The wider Code of Ethics, supported by a statutory Code of Practice for Ethical Policing, provides guidance on ethical and professional behaviour, including how officers and staff should manage business interests or personal associations to ensure there is no conflict with their policing duties.

What recent assessment has been made of adequacy of the (a) support and (b) guidance available for those who are unable to access their e-visas.

The Home Office has a robust support model in place that strives to ensure that all people, including the most vulnerable, are properly supported to access their eVisa and use the View and Prove service:We have delivered £4.4m of grant funding across 18 months to 72 voluntary and community sector organisations across the UK to support customers who needed help transitioning from a physical document to an eVisa.People who need support can contact the UKVI Resolution Centre, which provides support via email and webchat to those creating their UKVI account, and telephone support to those using the online immigration status services. This includes supporting users through the online journey by:o helping them to access or recover their accounto helping them to update their personal detailso sharing status on behalf of users if they are unable to do so themselvesShould anyone find themselves needing support with creating their UKVI account or getting access to their eVisa, the latest updates and guidance can be found on GOV.UK at: www.gov.uk/evisa.Employers and landlords in England can use the Employer Checking Service (ECS) and Landlord Checking Service (LCS) to check the status of people who are having difficulty providing digital status evidence.An Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) was completed on the first phase of the roll out of eVisas to EEA nationals on 9 November 2020, which built on the Policy Equality Statement (PES) for the EUSS which was produced in 2017 and published on the gov.uk website on 18 November 2020:Policy equality statement: EU Settlement Scheme (accessible version) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).(opens in a new tab)A separate EIA considering equalities issues in relation to the use of digital only right to work and rent checks was published on gov.uk in June 2022:Digital only right to work and rent checks: equality impact assessment (accessible) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab)We are also in the process of reviewing our eVisas EIA, setting out further analysis of the equalities issues to reflect the current stage in the roll out of eVisas, and we will continue to keep the issue under review.

What recent steps has she taken to ensure Home Office casework involving allegations of domestic abuse linked to spousal visa arrangements is investigated with appropriate (a) sensitivity and (b) cultural awareness.

We are committed to reducing Violence against Women and Girls and this means continuing to support migrant victims of domestic abuse on spousal or partner visas. That is why we offer immediate settlement for migrant victims of domestic abuse, under the Immigration Rules (Appendix Victim of Domestic Abuse (Appendix VDA)) for those granted permission to stay as a spouse or partner under the family Immigration Rules. We consulted with a range of expert stakeholders including refuge service providers, specialist migrant domestic abuse charities, and the Domestic Abuse Commissioner when we published the first version of the Appendix VDA casework guidance in January 2024 to capture the significant cultural and language barriers that exist for migrant victims. All applications under Appendix VDA are made directly to a specialist and experienced decision-making team to consider all the information and evidence provided to decide whether, on the balance of probabilities, the applicant can be granted settlement as a victim of domestic abuse. They are explicitly instructed to deal with cases sensitively, flexibly and cooperatively giving applicants support to demonstrate their eligibility where this is needed.

What recent steps she has taken to reduce the time taken for decisions to be made on applications for the (a) Protective Security for Mosques Scheme and (b) Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme.

This Government is committed to protecting the right of individuals to freely practise their religion at their chosen place of worship, and to making our streets and communities safer.Global and domestic events have heightened security concerns within faith communities, which has led to a significant increase in demand for protective security schemes offered by the Home Office. Additionally, following the violent disorder last year, the Home Office set up rapid security services to safeguard mosques and other places of worship. Delivering this support to a large number of places of worship has unfortunately also contributed to delays in processing applications for longer-term security measures.I can assure you the Home Office is working as quickly as it can to process applications.

What recent steps she has taken to (a) prevent and (b) tackle transnational oppression.

As I set out in my statement to the House on 14 May, the Defending Democracy Taskforce conducted a review into the UK’s response to transnational repression (TNR).In line with the Review recommendations, this Government has introduced new training and guidance for all 45 territorial police forces. This includes upskilling 999 call handlers to improve frontline identification and escalation of state-directed crimes. Additionally, the Government published practical safety guidance on GOV.UK for individuals who believe they may be at risk.The Government continues to work closely with international partners, victims of transnational repression, and civil society organisations to tackle this threat. For example, in November I met with UK-based pro-democracy activists targeted by Hong Kong arrest warrants and bounties to listen to their experiences of TNR and provide reassurance on the measures Government is taking to tackle the evolving threat.Beyond that review, the National Security Act 2023 modernises the UK’s ability to detect, deter and disrupt hostile activity - including transnational repression - via a suite of new offences such as the Foreign Interference Offence. This ensures that the UK’s legal framework reflects the seriousness of TNR and raises the cost to foreign states of engaging in such activity.The Government has also provided comprehensive written and oral evidence to the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) as part of its inquiry into TNR, and submitted a detailed response to its report in October.

What steps she is taking to help reduce crimes against (a) endangered species and (b) other wildlife.

Wildlife crime can have devastating consequences for our natural environments and countryside communities. This Government is committed to reducing crime, including in rural areas, and anyone exploiting or deliberately harming British wildlife should face the full force of the law.This financial year, we are continuing to fund the National Wildlife Crime Unit who provide intelligence, analysis and investigative assistance to forces and other law enforcement agencies across the UK to support them in investigating wildlife crime.They are also the UK policing focal point for EUROPOL and INTERPOL wildlife crime activity, tackling the illegal trade of endangered species.

What information her Department holds on the number of arrests that have been made following police use of facial recognition technology.

The Home Office does not hold data on the number of arrests made following the police’s use of facial recognition technology. The department is, however, funding national evaluation to understand the impact of facial recognition on police and crime outcomes, and its relationship to public trust and confidence.Where police forces are using live facial recognition technology, the number of arrests made following each deployment are published on their respective websites.

Whether she plans to allow legitimate cyber activity (a) necessary for the (i) detection and (ii) prevention of crime and (b) justified as being in the public interest.

The Government is conducting an ongoing review of the Computer Misuse Act. As part of the review, we are scoping several proposals to update the act, including how we can better support legitimate cybersecurity researchers so they can operate within a clear and supportive legal framework, while maintaining robust safeguards against misuse.Engagement, including with the cyber security industry, is underway to refine the approach and an update will be provided in due course.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of creating a single firearms licensing authority for England and Wales.

The Government has no plans to introduce a single firearms licensing authority. The Firearms Act 1968 places statutory responsibility for firearms licensing on the Chief Officer of Police of each individual force in England, Wales and Scotland. This framework is supported by Statutory Guidance to Chief Officers of Police issued by the Home Secretary in respect of firearms licensing, and by Authorised Professional Practice issued by the College of Policing.

With reference to the Law Commission report entitled Firearms Law: Reforms to Address Pressing Problems, published on 16 December 2015, whether she plans to implement the recommendation on codifying the law on firearms.

The Government has no plans at present to codify existing firearms legislation but we keep the law in this area under review to ensure we maintain strong controls on firearms.The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February this year, included a commitment to having a consultation specifically on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns in the interests of public safety which we intend to publish shortly.

If she will make an estimate of the average cost to the public purse of processing an application to renew a shotgun licence.

On 5 February 2025, increased fees came into effect for firearms licensing applications processed by police forces. This gave effect to a commitment in the Government’s manifesto.A full impact assessment was published alongside the Firearms (Variation of Fees) Order 2025, the Statutory Instrument that brought the new fees into effect.The impact assessment provides details of the costs associated with both initial grant and renewal of firearms licensing certificates. Any future changes to firearms licensing will be subject to further impact assessments in the normal way. The link to the impact assessment is available here Changes to firearms licensing fees - GOV.UK.

What steps her Department has taken to protect consumers against fraudulent investment opportunities presented online through the use of deepfakes.

Under the Online Safety Act, online platforms are required to take proactive measures to stop fraudulent content appearing on their platforms. This includes fraudulent investments using deepfakes.The government’s ‘Stop! Think Fraud’ campaign provides practical information on how to spot fake online adverts, including deepfake celebrity investment endorsements, and advice on how to report these scams if individuals fall victim.The Government will shortly publish a new Fraud Strategy, as set out in our manifesto, which will set out how we will work with law enforcement, industry and others to go further in protecting the public from all fraud, including AI enabled fraud.

Whether she has had discussions with (a) the Scottish Government and (b) Police Scotland on (i) data sharing of legally held firearms and (ii) the names of the people licenced to own them.

The Home Office publishes data on the number of firearms held, including shotguns, by the type of firearms certificate held. This data does not provide a specific breakdown on the type of shotgun. The latest data can be found in the table 13 via the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/684aa6f1a3c112ee2996ff1e/firearm-shotgun-certificates-2024-2025-tables.odsThe Firearms Act 1968 enables a Registered Firearms Dealer (RFD) to purchase and sell firearms provided that accurate records are maintained, and all firearms are properly accounted for, including those which have been transferred to the dealer by certificate holders. Private sales can also be arranged through an RFD by the owner if he or she wishes. However, the issue of private sales is an important one. The Government keeps all controls on firearms under constant review to safeguard the public against the misuse of licensed firearms.The non-statutory Guide on Firearms Licensing Law, last issued in November 2022, is currently in the process of being updated and a revised version will be issued in due course. However, a new version of the Statutory Guidance on firearms licensing to Chief Officers of Police was issued on 5 August 2025, and this sets out the criteria that must be applied when police forces are considering firearms applications and is intended to strengthen the assessment of those who hold, or who apply for, both shotgun and firearms licences. The Statutory Guidance is helping to ensure consistency in decision making across all police forces.The Home Office has regular discussions with the Scottish Government and Police Scotland on firearms licensing matters through the Firearms Licensing Enforcement Board (FLEB) which is chaired by the Home Office. Sharing of firearms licensing data for operational reasons, and where there is a lawful basis for doing so, can already take place between forces in England and Wales and Police Scotland.

When she next plans to update her guidance entitled Guide on firearms licensing law, last updated in November 2022.

The Home Office publishes data on the number of firearms held, including shotguns, by the type of firearms certificate held. This data does not provide a specific breakdown on the type of shotgun. The latest data can be found in the table 13 via the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/684aa6f1a3c112ee2996ff1e/firearm-shotgun-certificates-2024-2025-tables.odsThe Firearms Act 1968 enables a Registered Firearms Dealer (RFD) to purchase and sell firearms provided that accurate records are maintained, and all firearms are properly accounted for, including those which have been transferred to the dealer by certificate holders. Private sales can also be arranged through an RFD by the owner if he or she wishes. However, the issue of private sales is an important one. The Government keeps all controls on firearms under constant review to safeguard the public against the misuse of licensed firearms.The non-statutory Guide on Firearms Licensing Law, last issued in November 2022, is currently in the process of being updated and a revised version will be issued in due course. However, a new version of the Statutory Guidance on firearms licensing to Chief Officers of Police was issued on 5 August 2025, and this sets out the criteria that must be applied when police forces are considering firearms applications and is intended to strengthen the assessment of those who hold, or who apply for, both shotgun and firearms licences. The Statutory Guidance is helping to ensure consistency in decision making across all police forces.The Home Office has regular discussions with the Scottish Government and Police Scotland on firearms licensing matters through the Firearms Licensing Enforcement Board (FLEB) which is chaired by the Home Office. Sharing of firearms licensing data for operational reasons, and where there is a lawful basis for doing so, can already take place between forces in England and Wales and Police Scotland.