Written questions by Morton.

What funding she has allocated to frontline policing to mitigate changes to employer National Insurance contributions.

The 2025-26 final police funding settlement provides funding of up to £19.6 billion for the policing system in England and Wales. This is an overall increase of up to £1.2 billion when compared to the 2024-25 and represents a 6.4% cash increase and 3.9% real terms increase in funding.This includes an additional £230.3 million of funding for territorial police forces to cover the costs of the increases to National Insurance Contributions.

Pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2025 to Question 37161 on Resettlement: Chagossians, how much has been spent in the 2024-25 financial year; and how much has been budgeted for the 2025-26 financial year.

The Home Office is finalising potential claims for costs incurred in 2024/25 and will announce any updates regarding the funding at these costs in 2025/26 in the normal way in due course.

If she will make an estimate of the number of new police officers there will be in the West Midlands in the 2025-26 financial year.

The Government has committed to restore neighbourhood policing through the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee. This includes putting thousands more police personnel on the beat in neighbourhood policing roles up and down the country. Every part of the country needs to benefit from this pledge, including West Midlands, who have been allocated £12,210,903 funding in 2025/26 to bolster their neighbourhood policing teams. £200 million of funding has been allocated to forces in England and Wales in 2025/26 to deliver the first steps of the increase towards 13,000 neighbourhood officers by the end of this Parliament. Our approach to delivery in 2025/26, which will be year 1 of a 4-year programme, is designed to deliver an initial increase to the neighbourhood policing workforce in a manner that is flexible, and can be adapted to the local context and varied crime demands. The Home Office will review and confirm delivery plans with forces, but the precise workforce mix is a local decision.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a statutory cap on levels of migration.

This Government recognises and values the contribution that legal migration makes to the UK.But under the previous Government, between 2019 and 2024, net migration almost quadrupled, heavily driven by a big increase in overseas recruitment.A properly controlled and managed immigration system, alongside strong border security, is one of the foundations in the Government’s Plan for Change.The work to restore order to our immigration system is already underway, and we will be setting out our approach to immigration in the upcoming Immigration White Paper which will be published in due course.

What steps she is taking to reduce the use of hotels to house asylum seekers.

This Government inherited an asylum system under exceptional strain, with tens of thousands of people stuck in limbo without any prospect of having their claims processed. At their peak use under the previous government, in the autumn of 2023, more than 400 asylum hotels were being leased by the Home Office, at a cost of almost £9 million a day.Inevitably, due to the size of the backlog we inherited, the Government has been forced to continue with the use of hotels for the time being. This is not a permanent solution, and the small increase in the number in use at the end of last year was a temporary but necessary step to manage pressures in the system, which is now in the process of being reversed.It remains our absolute commitment to end the use of hotels over time, as part of our reduction in overall asylum accommodation costs.

What steps she is taking to deport people who enter the UK by small boat.

Since coming into office in July 2024, the Government has ensured the removal of 24,000 failed asylum seekers, foreign criminals and other migration offenders with no right to be in the UK, the highest nine-month total since 2017.

What estimate she has made of the number of care workers on the Skilled Worker route who no longer have sponsorship due to sponsors (a) unable to offer sufficient work and (b) having lost sponsor licences.

Between July 2022 and December 2024, the government has revoked more than 470 sponsor licences in the care sector to clampdown on abuse and exploitation. More than 39,000 workers have been associated with these sponsors since October 2020.We are unable to provide an answer concerning lost sponsor licences as this information is not centrally held and could only be collected and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

What estimate she has made of the cost of phasing out physical proof of immigration status documents.

The transition from physical immigration status documents to eVisas has been underway since the launch of the EU Settlement Scheme in 2018, with millions of people already receiving and using eVisas successfully.eVisas offer a more secure and convenient way to prove immigration status for those living, working, or studying in the UK.The implementation of eVisas has reduced the need for the Home Office to produce and maintain physical documents such as Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) and has led to a consequent reduction in costs.The delivery of eVisas and carrier integration also results in a net reduction in the costs of acquiring and issuing vignettes and handling physical documents at Visa Application Centres (VACs). It also reduces costs to immigration status holders by removing the fees for replacing BRPs and the travel costs associated with travel to VACs.

With reference to her Department's Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules, HC 733, published on 12 March 2025, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme on the number of Ukrainian children able to come to the UK.

The minor changes to the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme (UPE) set out in the statement of changes to the Immigration Rules laid on 12 March 2025, will not impact the number of children able to come to the UK.UPE, which opened to applications on 4 February 2025, enables Ukrainians and their eligible family members who are already in the UK with Ukraine scheme permission, or Leave outside the Rules in certain circumstances, to apply for a further 18 months' temporary permission in the UK.The Homes for Ukraine scheme remains open, uncapped and free of charge for Ukrainians in need of sanctuary to apply to come to the UK.

What estimate she has made of the number of British Nationals Overseas who have had to obtain Electronic Travel Authorisation prior to travelling to the UK.

The Government has agreed to exempt British National (Overseas) passport holders from the need to obtain an ETA when visiting the UK. This exceptional exemption will be kept under review.Data on the number of BN(O) applications made prior to this exemption being instituted is unavailable.

Pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2025 to Question 36082 on Neighbourhood Policing: Finance, how much and what proportion of the funding allocated for the financial year 2025-26 has been allocated to cover the increase in employer National Insurance contributions.

The Government is committed to delivering our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, and that is why we have committed £200 million to kickstart the increase of 13,000 neighbourhood officers in communities across England and Wales by the End of this Parliament.Our approach to delivery in 2025-26, which will be year 1 of a 4-year programme, is designed to deliver an initial increase to the neighbourhood policing workforce in a manner that is flexible and can be adapted to the local context and varied crime demands.Funding for future years beyond 2025-26 will be set out in phase 2 of the Spending Review.Finally, £230.3 million to support forces with the cost of the changes to employer National Insurance Contributions as set out by the Chancellor in the Autumn Budget. This will be allocated by total workforce headcount shares as at 31 March 2024.

What the annual quota for each of the Youth Mobility Scheme partner countries (a) was in 2024 and (b) is in 2025.

Quotas for the UK’s Youth Mobility Scheme visa route are published in Appendix Youth Mobility Scheme: eligible nationals of the Immigration Rules. The quotas for the upcoming year were set out in Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules HC 733 on 12 March and will be implemented in the Immigration Rules on 9 April. Quota information from previous years is also published online in the archived Immigration Rules.For 2024, we allocated the following quotas for each of our partner countries:- Andorra – 100 places- Australia – 45,000 places- Canada – 8,000 places- Hong Kong – 1,000 places- Iceland – 1,000 places- India – 3,000 places- Japan – 6,000 places- Monaco – 1,000 places- New Zealand – 8,500 places- Republic of Korea - 5,000 places- San Marino – 1,000 places- Taiwan – 1,000 places- Uruguay – 500 places.For 2025, we have allocated the following quotas for each of our partner countries:- Andorra – 100 places- Australia – 42,000 places- Canada – 10,000 places- Hong Kong – 1,000 places- Iceland – 1,000 places- India – 3,000 places- Japan – 6,000 places- Monaco – 1,000 places- New Zealand – 9,500 places- Republic of Korea - 5,000 places- San Marino – 1,000 places- Taiwan – 1,000 places- Uruguay – 500 places.

What steps she is taking to help improve the effectiveness of the (a) collection and (b) dissemination of neighbourhood crime data.

Information on offences including vehicle-related theft, domestic burglary, theft from the person and robbery of personal property is routinely included in the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Crime Survey for England Wales and by the Home Office from police forces based on crimes reported to the police in England and Wales. The ONS already publishes such data in their quarterly ‘Crime in England and Wales’ statistics release.

What steps her Department is taking to support community-led initiatives focused on preventing knife crime.

The Home Office has committed to the creation of a new Young Futures Programme, which will establish a network of Young Futures Hubs and Young Futures Prevention Partnerships, to ensure at risk children and young people are supported in a more systematic way. The Government recognises the vital role community voices can play in the effective delivery of crime reduction initiatives.This is why the Prevention Partnership model, and its associated functions will be designed in partnership with the communities it intends to support. As we continue to design the Young Futures Programme, we want to ensure that it learns from and builds on the work of the existing Violence Reduction Units in this regard. In 2025/26 we are investing £49.7m in Violence Reduction Units, including making over £4.3m available to the West Midlands this year, and £14.4m to Serious Violence Duty Partnerships nationally.Violence Reduction Units and Serious Violence Duty partnerships bring together key partners, including the local community, to understand and tackle the drivers of serious violence in their area. As part of the 'whole system' approach to violence prevention, they are required to operate 'with and for' the community. This involves support for community-led and grass-roots organisations to deliver interventions that help to prevent violence, including knife crime.The Prime Minister has also launched a Coalition to tackle the scourge of knife crime. The Coalition brings together key stakeholders, including community leaders, to help the Government develop an extensive understanding of what causes young people to be drawn into violence.

Whether she has allocated funding to support the (a) resettlement and (b) integration of Chagossians in the UK.

The British nationality route for those of Chagossian decent allows individuals to become British citizens and to build their future in the UK, should they wish to, with the full range of rights and entitlements afforded to any other British citizen.The Home Office has made funding available to cover costs incurred by local authorities providing statutory support to newly arrived Chagossian British citizens.

What steps his Department is taking to improve educational support and engagement for vulnerable young people at risk of becoming involved in knife crime.

The Home Office has committed to the creation of a new Young Futures Programme, which will establish a network of Young Futures Hubs and Young Futures Prevention Partnerships, to ensure at risk children and young people are supported in a more systematic way. The Government recognises the vital role community voices can play in the effective delivery of crime reduction initiatives.This is why the Prevention Partnership model, and its associated functions will be designed in partnership with the communities it intends to support. As we continue to design the Young Futures Programme, we want to ensure that it learns from and builds on the work of the existing Violence Reduction Units in this regard. In 2025/26 we are investing £49.7m in Violence Reduction Units, including making over £4.3m available to the West Midlands this year, and £14.4m to Serious Violence Duty Partnerships nationally.Violence Reduction Units and Serious Violence Duty partnerships bring together key partners, including the local community, to understand and tackle the drivers of serious violence in their area. As part of the 'whole system' approach to violence prevention, they are required to operate 'with and for' the community. This involves support for community-led and grass-roots organisations to deliver interventions that help to prevent violence, including knife crime.The Prime Minister has also launched a Coalition to tackle the scourge of knife crime. The Coalition brings together key stakeholders, including community leaders, to help the Government develop an extensive understanding of what causes young people to be drawn into violence.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to employer National Insurance contributions on the funding for neighbourhood police officers in the financial year 2025-26 and beyond.

The 2025-26 final police funding settlement provides funding of up to £19.6 billion for the policing system in England and Wales. This is an overall increase of up to £1.1 billion when compared to the 2024-25 and represents a 6% cash increase and 3.5% real terms increase in funding.This includes an additional £230.3 million of funding for territorial police forces to support cover the costs of the increases to National Insurance Contributions.The Government is committed to ensuring police forces are supported to effectively tackle crime. That is why we have committed £200 million to kickstart the recruitment of 13,000 additional neighbourhood police officers and PCSOs in communities across the country. The Government will work closely with policing to implement the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee and we are setting up a working group with key sector partners, including the College of Policing, NPCC, APCC and HMICFRS.

What steps the Government is taking to ensure that police forces are sufficiently resourced to tackle crime rates.

The 2025-26 final police funding settlement provides funding of up to £19.6 billion for the policing system in England and Wales. This is an overall increase of up to £1.1 billion when compared to the 2024-25 and represents a 6% cash increase and 3.5% real terms increase in funding.The Government is committed to ensuring police forces are supported to effectively tackle crime. That is why we have committed £200 million to kickstart the recruitment of 13,000 additional neighbourhood police officers and PCSOs in communities across the country.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of proposed closures of (a) Aldridge Police Station and (b) other local police stations on community safety.

The Home Office does not collect data on the number or location of police stations, or the impact of their closure. Police stations are just one of the ways people can access their local police services, including reporting online and by phone 24/7.It is up to Chief Constables and directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners (or equivalents) to make decisions on local resourcing and estates, including police stations. They are best placed to make these decisions based on their local knowledge and experience.As part of the Safer Street Mission to reduce crime and increase public confidence in policing, the Government has introduced a Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee to transform neighbourhood policing. Each neighbourhood will have a named, contactable officer dealing with local issues.We have also provided £200 million in FY 25/26 to support the first steps of delivering 13,000 more neighbourhood personnel. This increase in neighbourhood policing, alongside the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, will strengthen the connections between the police and the communities they serve.

What steps her Department is taking to strengthen deterrents against people smugglers involved in illegal Channel crossings; and what steps the Government is taking with its international counterparts to dismantle these criminal networks.

I refer the Honourable Member to the Written Ministerial Statement (UIN UCSW406) made by the Home Secretary on 30 January 2025 on the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill.