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Sarah Jones
LAB✓ Current MP
🏛️ Croydon West
📅 2017–2026
955 speeches on Hansard record
✅ Votes attended: 78.40% (#427 of 650 MPs)
🟢 Rebelled against party: 0.28%
📝 Topics: High Rise Flats: Insulation, Buildings: Insulation, Anti-social Behaviour
🤝 Member of 1 All-Party Parliamentary Groups
Written Answers
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Home Office
Organisations who do not meet due diligence checks will not be eligible for government funding. It is up to each department to carry out due diligence when choosing to engage with, or fund, any organisation or individual and, if asked, we will advise and share information to help others inform…
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Ministerial private offices in the Home Office have a mean of 6 staff members, at grades ranging from Executive Officer to Grade 6 (excluding the Principal Private Secretary and one other member of staff, who are Senior Civil Servants). Staff are contracted between 36 and 37 hours per week…
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The Home Office does not, and has not paid for followers on its social media platforms.
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The Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Mark Rowley, wrote to the Home Secretary on 9 March requesting her consent to an order under section 13 of the Public Order Act 1986 to prohibit processions and counter-processions in relation to Al Quds Day.The Home Secretary approved the order, to…
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Violence prevention is crucial to achieving our ambition of halving knife crime and making our streets safer.The 2026/27 Police Funding Settlement included an allocation of £66.6m for Serious Violence Reduction Programmes.This funding will be used to maintain our network of 20 Violence…
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Police Call Handlers are not required to have working knowledge of What Three Words and the Nato Phonetic Alphabet. This is an operational matter for Chief Constables.For matters regarding the Fire Service, I would direct my Rt Hon friend to the Ministry for Housing Communities and Local…
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We fully recognise the serious and growing threat that freight crime poses to businesses, drivers, and the wider economy. The Government does not fund NaVCIS. Instead NaVCIS is funded by the industry, including finance and leasing companies, insurers and hauliers.NaVCIS is a national policing unit…
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The answer for UIN 110947 was given on 19th March 2026.
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The police have a suite of powers under the Road Traffic Act 1988 and Police Reform Act 2002 to seize e-scooters and e‑bikes being used illegally or antisocially, including ‑for offences such as riding on the pavement and in pedestrian areas.We are strengthening enforcement through the…
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I refer my Honourable friend to the response published on 19 March and suggest that he consider writing to the College of Policing and the Independent Office for Police Conduct concerning their statutory obligations to respond to the respective coroners who published the PFD reports in these cases.
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There is no distinct offence category or grouping that captures rural crimes separately from other offences. Currently any centrally held data on crimes recorded by the police and the investigative outcomes of crimes will not be broken down into rural crime.
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The numbers of unannounced audits conducted are reported in the published Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) Annual Reports.YearNumber of unannounced audits202410202314202210 The Annual Report for 2024 can be found…
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This Government is introducing the most radical and comprehensive policing reforms in nearly 200 years. We will modernise policing in this country – equipping it to tackle more sophisticated, online, and cross-border crimes (like wildlife crime and organised equipment theft), while also…
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The central aim of our police reforms is to protect and revitalise neighbourhood policing. We are lifting national responsibilities from local forces so they can focus on tackling issues of key concern to communities, such as dealing with bike theft. The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee will ensure…
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The Government shares concerns over the misuse of catapults, whether against people, property or wildlife.There are a wide range of laws in place to punish those who misuse catapults. The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police, local authorities and other local…
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According to the Youth Endowment Fund toolkit, the available studies suggest that A&E navigator programmes could have a high impact on preventing further involvement in violence.The majority of Violence Reduction Units in England and Wales deliver A&E navigator programmes. We will continue to learn…
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As part of this Government’s commitment to protect the rights to freedom of expression and assembly, in May 2025 the Home Office began conducting post-legislative scrutiny of the Public Order Act 2023.The post-legislative scrutiny of this Public Order Act 2023 is ongoing and once completed,…
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RAND Europe’s process evaluation and feasibility impact study of the Young Futures Panel pilots is ongoing and will be sent for independent peer review by academics with relevant expertise in due course.
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His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) issued an accelerated cause of concern notice to the Chief Constables of the three forces involved in the tripartite firearms licensing arrangement involving Bedfordshire Police, Cambridgeshire Constabulary and…
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On the 14th February, the government tabled an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill to extend existing aggravated offences under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 to ensure equal protection across the protected characteristics of race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, transgender…
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Everyone deserves to feel safe both in public and online. In addition to existing offences for the sharing of intimate images, we have introduced offences to the Crime and Policing Bill of taking an intimate image and installing equipment with the intent to take intimate images, without consent or…
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There are no current plans by government to introduce national guidance governing the movement of abnormal loads.
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The Home Office has not made an assessment on the costs to police forces for administering roadside drug-impartment tests under section 4 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and drug driving testing under section 5A of the Road Traffic Act 1988.
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I have met with those leading the campaign for a new award and I am working on proposals. Ultimately, any official award is a gift from the Government on behalf of His Majesty The King.
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The Home Office does not publish details of spending on special severance payments separately.The Home Office does publish overall special payments spending and details of this for the previous three financial years can be found through the links below.Pages 190-191 (pages 198-199 on the…
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The police and local authorities are required to act in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 and their obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights. The powers available to the police apply to anyone residing on land without consent and refusing to leave where the statutory conditions…
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Equipment theft, including the theft of GPS systems, can have devastating consequences for countryside communities and the agricultural sector.That is why we are committed to the implementation of the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023 and fully support its intentions to prevent the theft and…
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The Home Office publishes annual statistics on the use of animals in science which contain information on the number of procedures conducted, including break down by species of animals.Animals may be used more than once in certain circumstances. These instances are counted as separate, additional…
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This project, among other research, sits within the Government’s broader strategy to support research that advances the understanding of major public health challenges – including addiction and neurodegenerative disease.The non-technical summary for this research project is available…
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The police are operationally independent of government and as such the Home Office does not hold this information.Police officers are required to act diligently in the exercise of their duties and responsibilities. A failure to do so is a breach of policing’s Standards of Professional…
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Civil Service recruitment is governed by the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (CRaGA) 2010, which requires that all appointments to the Civil Service are made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition.The Home Office does not recruit candidates on the basis of protected…
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Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of international partners, as well as organisations and individuals as part of the process of policy development and delivery.The details are published in quarterly stats. Home Office: ministerial gifts, hospitality, travel and…
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Since the Safer Streets Mission Board ceased to be a Cabinet Committee in November 2025, it has not met.The Safer Streets Mission Delivery Board meets monthly and is chaired by the Director General for the Public Safety Group.
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As a longstanding matter of Government policy, the Home Office can neither confirm nor deny whether a request for Mutual Legal Assistance has been made or received.This is to protect the integrity of criminal investigations and proceedings.
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The Home Secretary has commissioned His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary (HMICFRS) to conduct an inspection of police and relevant law enforcement agencies’ use of retrospective facial recognition. The detail of the inspection and publication of the report are a matter for…
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The Home Office does not hold data on the total cost to policing for housing dogs confiscated under the Dangerous Dogs Act.I would refer the hon member to the response previously provided by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, UIN: 74382.
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The Government has no plans to issue guidance on this matter.
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The Home Office does not publish the amounts due to the sensitive nature of the grant scheme.Previous years funding can be found here Government Grants Data and Statistics Government grants data and statistics - GOV.UK.
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The Home Office has not had recent discussions with Police Scotland or Scottish trading standards bodies in relation to realistic imitation firearms that are not readily convertible to fire live ammunition. Chief Constables have operational responsibility for enforcing the legislation which applies…
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The Home Office maintains a rigorous approach to enforcing Section 2A of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA), which embeds the statutory principles of replacement, reduction and refinement (the 3Rs). All applications proposing the use of animals undergo a robust assessment to ensure…
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The Home Office publishes official statistics on the number of notifiable offences recorded by the police in England and Wales and their investigative outcomes on a quarterly basis. This includes outcome type 17 “Prosecution time limit expired”, and the requested information can be…
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To obtain this information would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold.The Home Office will only grant licences where it is satisfied that the statutory requirements of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 have been met, including that the work is scientifically justified and that…
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The Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) makes recommendations to the Government on the appropriate level of pay and allowances for police officers, including overtime payments.The PRRB gathers and invites parties to submit evidence to inform their decisions. This includes both written and oral…
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The Home Office does not issue specific guidance on the use of PSPOs against individual crime or ASB types, including unauthorised traveller sites.
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When Tim Goodson was appointed as member of the Offensive Weapons Homicide Review Board, the required process of checks and balances were made. No political activity was noted.In accordance with the Government’s transparency arrangements, details of the appointment were published at: New…
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The final report of the College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs’ Council Review of Non-Crime Hate Incidents is expected to be published in the coming weeks.The Government will set out its response to the Review’s recommendations at that time.
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Planning policy is clear that local authorities should assess the need for traveller sites in their area, and then plan to meet that need, in the same way they plan for all forms of housing.The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government recently consulted on a new National Planning…
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As part of the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, the Government has committed to delivering 13,000 additional neighbourhood policing personnel by the end of this Parliament.Funding available to Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) will be up to £18.4 billion in 2026-27, an increase of up to…
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Our police reforms will end the postcode lottery of provision by setting central targets, increasing transparency so people can see how their force is performing, and taking robust action where forces are not performing.With our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee every neighbourhood, rural or urban,…
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The Government is committed to tackling SOC in all its forms in line with the priorities we have set out on crime and policing and security, including the Safer Streets mission and border security. Due to the nature of the threat from SOC requires a whole system approach in tackling it.The National…
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The Home Office maintains a rigorous approach to enforcing Section 2A of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, which embeds the statutory principles of replacement, reduction and refinement (the 3Rs). All applications proposing the use of animals undergo a robust assessment to ensure that…
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The Home Office works closely with domestic and international partners to strengthen cooperation between law enforcement agencies in tackling cross‑border criminal activity. This includes supporting UK law enforcement’s use of established international frameworks and operational…
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The Home Office publishes official statistics on violent crime recorded by the police in England Wales at the Community Safety Partnership (CSP) Area level.Figures for the CSP areas of St Albans and Dacorum can be found in Open Data Tables, available here: Police recorded crime and outcomes open…
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Antisocial behaviour causes misery in towns and communities across the country, often hitting the most vulnerable hardest. Under our Plan for Change, we have committed to cracking down on anti-social behaviour, including in local communities.The central aim of our police reforms is to protect and…
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As set out in my earlier response, the police have a responsibility to protect the public by detecting and preventing crime, including violent crime within the nighttime economy. They already have a wide range of powers to do this effectively, including those provided under the Prevention of Crime…
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The Home Office does not collect information on the number of individuals aged 17 years old who have applied to join the police service.
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The Home Office does not collect information on the nationality of police officers.
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The Home Office publishes detailed annual statistics on the use of animals in science, including procedures for acute and subacute toxicity testing which covers tests such as LD50 (Lethal Dose 50) and LC50 (Lethal Concentration 50). These figures represent the total number of procedures carried out…
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The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February 2025, included a commitment to having a public consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns to bring them more into line with the controls on other firearms in the interests of public…
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The Home Office does not hold or collate the information requested.The Motor Vehicle Tyres (Safety) Regulations 1994, set out requirements for re-treaded tyres, as well as brand new tyres. Consumers can be confident in the safety of any tyre that complies with these requirements.
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The Home Office has two Directors with responsibility for human resources, both of which hold qualifications from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
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Home Office officials have started conversations with the Office for National Statistics to investigate the technical feasibility of linking anonymised person-level data Census data to police recorded hate crime to improve its data quality.I will write to you once these discussions have concluded.
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Section 17 of the Inquiries Act 2005 requires the Chair of an Inquiry established under the Act to act with fairness and with regard to the need to avoid any unnecessary cost. Once the Orgreave Inquiry is established, it will be expected to publish its costs periodically. Ministers will meet with…
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The Chief Constables of the three forces involved in the tripartite firearms licensing arrangement involving Bedfordshire Police, Cambridgeshire Constabulary and Hertfordshire Constabulary received an accelerated cause of concern notice from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire…
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The Home Office publishes annual statistics on the use of animals in science which contain information on the number of procedures conducted each year. The number of procedures is not equal the number of animals that have been used in procedures that year because some animals may be used more than…
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All Home Office Inspectors are specifically trained to assess licence applications rigorously and robustly and thereby assure compliance with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). The National Centre for the 3Rs (NC3Rs) are providing training for all Inspectors which includes…
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West Midlands Police is responsible for how guidance on charging for abnormal roads is implemented in its area. Local variation in the management of abnormal loads may be necessary to account for factors such as geography and road infrastructure.NPCC guidance for police forces on managing abnormal…
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The Home Office has now completed the initial scoping phase of the internal review and will shortly be reaching out to relevant stakeholders, including political parties, to arrange meetings in April to gather their views.An internal report is expected to be completed by the end of May.
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Recipients of Prevent Future Death reports are under a statutory obligation to respond within 56 days.In the cases named, it would be a matter for the College of Policing and Independent Office for Police Conduct respectively to respond accordingly as they have to previous such reports.
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The joint Home Office and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Forced Marriage Unit (FMU), provides support and advice to victims, those at risk, and professionals.
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The final 2026-27 Police Funding Settlement confirmed funding to police forces in England and Wales of up to £18.4 billion, an increase of up to £796 million compared to the 2025-26 police funding settlement. Across England and Wales, this increase includes up to £364 million of…
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Police forces have a range of statutory and common law powers to deal with matters in public places. These include common law powers to prevent a breach of the peace, which allow officers to intervene where there is a reasonable belief that harm may occur to a person or property, or where public…
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Between 1 January 2026 and 28 February 2026, one project licence was granted which authorised the use of dogs, and one was granted that authorised the use of non-human primates under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. No project licences were granted within this period that authorised…
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There were 10 unannounced audits in 2024, as reported in the published Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) 2024 Annual Report.ASRU will increase the number of unannounced audits as part of its programme of regulatory strengthening. The inspectorate is being expanded from an average of 14.5…
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The Government has no plans to lower the legal age for purchasing alcohol from 18 in England and Wales.This is consistent with the Licensing Act 2003 objective of protecting children from harm.It remains an offence to sell alcohol to under-18s and licensed premises must operate robust…
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The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, also known as Martyn’s Law, will require certain public premises and events to be prepared and ready to keep the public safe in a terrorist attack. The Act applies to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and establishes a minimum legal…
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Border Force conducts robust security checks on those arriving into the UK, including 100% checks on all notified general aviation flights to reinforce security. Border Force allocates resources based on assessed risk, applying intelligence and targeting techniques. Border Force has implemented a…
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Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of international partners, as well as organisations and individuals as part of the process of policy development and delivery.The details are published in quarterly stats.Home Office: ministerial gifts, hospitality, travel and…
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The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police, local authorities, and other local agencies with a range of flexible tools and powers that they can use to respond quickly and effectively to anti-social behaviour. This includes Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs)…
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I refer the Hon. Member to my answer given to question 98986.
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The Secretary of State issues statutory guidance under section 182 of the Act to support licensing authorities in the discharge of their functions - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/explanatory-memorandum-revised-guidance-issued-under-s-182-of-licensing-act-2003.This includes guidance on…
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The Home Office works closely with a range of partners, including voluntary and community sector organisations such as Resolve, to support Anti‑Social Behaviour Awareness Week.During the week, the Department supports national awareness raising activity by working with partners to amplify key…
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The Government has been strengthening controls on the online sales of bladed articles, including knives, swords and axes. We commissioned Commander Stephen Clayman, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for knife crime, to conduct a review into the online sale and delivery of knives. The…
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The Police Special Grant is contingency funding held by the Home Office to support policing with the additional costs of unexpected additional events or complex investigations.Home Office publishes the applications and decisions taken on Special Grant; data up to 2023/24 can be found at the link…
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The Home Office supports police objectives to keep the public safe and ensure that officers can provide an emergency response, rapidly and effectively, to attend incidents. Police investment in technology for vehicle safety, along with guidance issued by the National Police Chiefs’ Council…
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The Home Office publishes official statistics on the number of notifiable offences recorded by the police in England and Wales and their investigative outcomes on a quarterly basis.This includes bicycle thefts, and the requested information can be accessed here: Police recorded crime and outcomes…
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Chief Constables have operational responsibility for firearms licensing. However, as set out in the Deer Impacts Policy Statement published by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) on 2 March.The Home Office will work with the National Police Chief’s Council and Defra…
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The National Police Chiefs’ Council has established a national coordination group and has appointed a senior investigator to support forces in reviewing the extensive material and progressing any resulting investigations.
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There have not been any changes to facility time arrangements in the Home Office since July 2024.There will always be fluctuations from one year to another in terms of the number of employees elected as trade union reps and the amount of facility time they use to undertake their duties.These…
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We fully recognise the serious and growing threat that freight crime poses to businesses, drivers, and the wider economy.The Government does not fund NaVCIS. Instead NaVCIS is funded by the industry, including finance and leasing companies, insurers and hauliers.NaVCIS is a national policing unit…
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Vehicle recovery Statutory fees are prescribed in secondary legislation under road traffic vehicle recovery powers.The statutory framework provides for both fixed charges and variable payments that reflect the size, condition and recovery requirements of the vehicles involved.The Home Office does…
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The Government shares concerns over the misuse of catapults, whether against people, property or wildlife.There is existing legislation relating to the carrying and use of offensive weapons, Anti-Social Behaviour and wildlife crime; however, the Government is aware of continuing concerns about the…
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This Government has recently announced £75 million of further investment in accelerating the development, validation and uptake of non-animal alternative methods.As set out in the Replacing Animals in Science strategy, published in November 2025, the Government will create a preclinical…
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Since the publication of the Animals in Science Strategy on 11 November the Home Office has not received any applications for licences that seek authorisation for procedures using the rabbit pyrogen test.
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The Government takes the welfare of animals used in science extremely seriously. The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) is the UK’s framework governing the use of animals in research. ASPA enables the limited use of animals in science for societal, environmental or animal…
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Due to significant changes in the structure of police funding and policing in England and Wales in the financial year ending March 2016, it is difficult to make a direct comparison of the proportion of total police funding that was derived from police precept over the requested period of…
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Section 54(1) of the Police Act 1996 sets out that Inspectors are known as HM Inspectors of Constabulary and there are no plans to change this.There are no plans for HM Passport Office to remove the “HM” reference from its public branding.
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The police are responsible for collision investigations and for establishing the circumstances that have led to deaths and life changing injuries on our roads.The police investigation and release of forensic collision investigation reports, along with decisions on how available resources in…
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The Home Office was invited by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to input to the consultation on the ethnicity harmonised standard. Any changes recommended to the ethnicity harmonisations standard will be applied to our departmental statistics, where applicable, in due course.It was an open…
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There has been action taken by the National Crime Agency and police forces in England and Wales against certain types of imitation firearms that have been found to be readily convertible into lethal firing firearms. Such imitation firearms, depending on their features, are subject to firearms…
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The Government is intending to consult on strengthening shotgun controls in due course. The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published in February 2025, included a commitment to having a consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns, in the…
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The Home Office does collect and publish official statistics on the number of charges for the offences of ‘Procuring illegal abortion’ offences and ‘intentional destruction of a viable unborn child’ recorded by the police in England and Wales.However, it is not possible to…
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The Government expects all police forces to respond swiftly to requests for information from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.No assessment has been made of the performance of Thames Valley police in this regard.
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Home Office Ministers and officials meet with a range of stakeholders with an interest in firearms related issues, including the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC), from time to time and will continue to do so.I had a meeting with BASC on 12 November 2025 to discuss firearms…
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Decisions on the methods of disposal of seized vehicles are operational matters for individual police forces, or the recovery bodies acting on their behalf, to determine.The police have powers under section 59 of the Police Reform Act 2002 to seize vehicles, including off-road electric motorbikes.…
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In February the Government made the Public Order Act 2023 (Interference With Use or Operation of Key National Infrastructure) Regulations 2026 to amend the definition of key national infrastructure in the Public Order Act 2023, to include life sciences infrastructure. This extended the offence of…
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The Joint Combating Drugs Unit (JCDU) is responsible for driving and co-ordinating efforts across Government to tackle drugs, working in close partnership with six departments – the Home Office, the Department of Health and Social Care, the Ministry of Justice, the Department of Work and…
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The Government is intending to consult on strengthening shotgun controls in due course. The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published in February 2025, included a commitment to having a consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns, in the…
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The central aim of our police reforms is to protect and revitalise neighbourhood policing. We are lifting national responsibilities off local forces so they focus on tackling local issues, like fighting retail crime. All communities, including rural communities, will benefit from and are included…
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We will imminently launch an Independent Review of Police Structures, which will make recommendations on the optimum number and configuration of police forces across England and Wales and the best approach to implementation.The Government will subsequently set out its response to the…
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The Government is clear that catapults should not be used to cause harm to wildlife, people, or property.There are a wide range of laws in place to punish those who misuse catapults. For example, under the Prevention of Crime Act 1953, if a person carries an offensive weapon in a public place or…
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The Government has committed to having a new public consultation on changes to the licensing controls on shotguns.We will publish the consultation in due course.
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The Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme’s revised Business Case (PBC 2025) was approved by the Home Office Investment Committee on 18 December 2025.The PBC has subsequently been submitted to HM Treasury and is currently undergoing the Treasury Approval Point process, including…
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Reports of fraud and cyber crime are made through Report Fraud, the new national fraud reporting service which became operational in December 2025. These reports are assessed centrally and disseminated to local police forces wherever there are viable lines of enquiry, including cases involving…
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Mobile phone theft causes significant distress to victims and fuels wider criminality, and the Government is determined to reduce it. We recognise the important role that technical solutions, such as options aimed at preventing stolen devices from accessing cloud services, can play in reducing the…
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The Government is delivering our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, putting 13,000 additional police personnel into neighbourhood roles, ensuring everyone has a named and contactable officer, enquiries are responded to within 72 hours and officers are conducting visible patrols.The…
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We have set out our expectation that all duty bearers, including Departments and arm’s-length bodies, follow the law as clarified by the Supreme Court ruling and seek specialist legal advice where necessary. The Prime Minister has underlined this recently.The Equality and Human Rights…
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The Government’s Road Safety Strategy, launched in January 2026, includes a consultation on a range of motoring offences including the drink and drug driving testing framework. The government will continue to support the police to ensure they have the tools needed to keep road users safe.The…
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NPCC guidance for forces on managing abnormal loads was updated in May 2025. This seeks to promote greater national alignment across forces, where possible, noting the need for variations.Police Chiefs are responsible for decisions on escorting abnormal loads and for how guidance should be…
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The Government’s Road Safety Strategy launched in January 2026, includes a consultation on a range of motoring offences including the drink and drug driving testing framework. The government will continue to support the police to ensure they have the tools needed to keep road users safe.The…
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Police forces that reflect the communities they serve are crucial to tackling crime in a modern diverse society. The police have and continue to work hard to improve equality and diversity and the workforce is more representative than ever before.The Special Constabulary is more ethnically diverse…
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Stop and search is a vital tool for tackling crime, but it must be used fairly and effectively. Trust and accountability in its use are crucial, and the government recognises that youth scrutiny panels can play a positive role in strengthening confidence and transparency.The Home Office does not…
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Mobile phone theft causes significant distress to victims and fuels wider criminality, and the Government is determined to reduce it. We recognise the important role that technical solutions, such as options aimed at preventing stolen devices from accessing cloud services, can play in reducing the…
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The Home Secretary announced her plans to introduce a local intervention model and new powers for His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) to intervene in failing forces in the police reform White Paper entitled “From Local to National: A New Model…
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We assess the recent death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes to have limited potential impact on the importation of illegal drugs into the UK.However, we continue to monitor for potential changes in drug supply, including the potential impact of the related civil unrest in Mexico.
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The High Streets Illegality Taskforce is working to develop a strategic long-term policy response to money laundering and associated illegality on UK high streets, including other forms of economic crime, tax evasion, and illegal working, tackling the systemic vulnerabilities that criminals…
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Where the activity of protestors breaks the law, the police have the Government’s backing to use their powers that they need to respond.It would not be appropriate for Ministers to intervene in those operational decisions, but we continue to work closely with policing to ensure they have the…
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The Home Office does not maintain a separate budget line for activity under the Licensing Act 2003. Relevant costs, including staff time in the policy team and contributions from legal and analytical colleagues are absorbed across wider departmental budgets.Identifying the total annual expenditure…
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It is a long-established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place in Cabinet and its committees – which previously included mission boards - including their attendance, and how often they have met, is not normally shared publicly.
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The Home Office currently has no plans to introduce a formal police reserve or auxiliary force. However, as part of the Police Reform White Paper, we are committed to working with policing partners and organisations such as the Fire and Rescue Service and the Armed Forces to assess alternative and…
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The Police Reform White Paper set out an ambition to move to fewer, larger forces by the end of next parliament. This included a commitment to explore opportunities to undertake pathfinder mergers by the end of this Parliament.A pathfinder merger would take place with the support of local forces…
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Special constables are not employees of police forces and therefore do not fall within the scope of employment legislation in the same way as paid staff. There is currently no statutory requirement on employers to provide paid or unpaid leave for employees undertaking special constable duties,…
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The Police Reform White Paper, published on 26 January 2026, committed to abolish the Police and Crime Commissioner model and transfer policing functions to Strategic Authority Mayors or Policing and Crime Boards. This involves Police, Fire and Commissioners.Separately, the Government continues to…
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The White Paper “From Local to National: A New Model for Policing” sets out which central bodies are planned to be replaced by the National Police Service.Further details will be set out in the legislation to create the National Police Service.
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The estimated cost of the 2024 Police and Crime Commissioner elections excluded the cost of the accompanying local elections, as those are met by the respective local authorities.While the final cost of the 2024 PCC elections will not be known until all the claims have been reviewed and settled,…
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The Police Reform White Paper, published on 26 January 2026, set out an ambition to significantly reduce the number of police forces across England and Wales by the end of next Parliament.We will imminently launch an Independent Review of Police Force Structures, which will make recommendations on…
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The Government committed in the English Devolution White Paper to transfer Police and Crime Commissioner functions to mayors of strategic authorities by default, wherever possible. The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, currently before Parliament, contains provisions to achieve…
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The issuing of firearms certificates, resourcing of firearms licensing teams and the efficiency of police forces is a matter for individual Chief Officers of Police and Police and Crime Commissioners. Hertfordshire Constabulary works with Cambridgeshire Constabulary and Bedfordshire Police r as…
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The Home Office has awarded over £19 million for this financial year (2025/26) to continue the work of 27 Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) to commission domestic abuse and stalking perpetrator interventions in their local areas as part of the Domestic Abuse and Stalking Perpetrator…
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The Home Office regulates the use of animals in science under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). Under ASPA, applicants must demonstrate that they have fully applied the principles of Replacement, Reduction and Refinement (the 3Rs), including showing that no scientifically…
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The number of special constables has declined year on year, falling from a peak of 20,343 in March 2012 to just 5,304 as of September 2025. As part of the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, the Government is committed to increasing the number of volunteers in neighbourhood policing, including…
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We expect the Independent Review of Police Structures to engage extensively with a wide range of stakeholders to make recommendations on the optimum size and configuration of forces as well as their governance and accountability arrangements.We expect that it will draw on the expertise and…
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In the Police Reform White Paper the Home Secretary announced the most significant reforms to policing in 200 years. As part of this, we have committed to increasing the number of volunteers in neighbourhood policing, including special constables, by working with policing to attract new special…
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The Police Reform White Paper set out an ambitious package of reform, including an ambition to move to fewer, larger forces by the end of next parliament.We will imminently launch the Independent Review of Police Force Structures, which will make recommendations on the optimum configuration of…
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The White Paper entitled “From Local to National: A New Model for Policing” contained announcements on the tiered performance system, the Police Performance Framework and the Police Performance Dashboard.As part of the new performance system announced in the White Paper, we committed to…
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The enforcement of the law, including arrests, charges, and sentencing, is a matter for the operationally independent police, Crown Prosecution Service, and the independent judiciary, including associated costs Therefore, the Home Office has not accrued any costs in relation to the costs of…
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The Home Office offers only office‑based and home‑working contracts.Contract TypeProportionOffice-based workers96.57%Contractual Home Workers3.43%
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The primary guidance that ministers and officials should follow is the Non-Corporate Communications Channels (NCCCs).Guidance issued by the Government Digital Service: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/non-corporate-communication-channels-for-government-business
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All establishments licensed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act1986 are required to meet standards of animal protections as set out in the Act and in the associated Code of Practice. The Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) conducts a programme of regular audits to assure compliance…
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The Home Office is currently reviewing the potential merits of recording and reporting the number of animals that were bred for, but not used, in scientific procedures.The Home Office publishes Annual Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals, available…
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The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee has named, contactable officers dedicated to addressing local issues in every neighbourhood, including rural areas.Forces are ensuring neighbourhood policing teams spend the majority of their time within the areas they serve, delivering visible patrols across…
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The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee set out commitments for police forces to implement, by July 2025, and by the end of Parliament. Forces are now delivering on the Guarantee across England and Wales to ensure consistent and high-quality neighbourhood policing, including in South Shropshire.West…
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A police officer’s pension may be forfeited where an individual has been convicted of a criminal offence committed in connection with their service as a police officer, which the Secretary of State has certified as either gravely injurious to the interests of the State, or liable to lead to a…
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The Animals in Science Regulation Unit operates a quality checking process to minimise errors in published non-technical summaries (NTS). However, they acknowledge there was a duplication error in the February 2026 NTS publication.The Animals in Science Regulation Unit have corrected a version of…
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The central aim of our police reforms is to protect and revitalise neighbourhood policing. We are lifting national responsibilities off local forces so they focus on tackling local issues, like fighting retail crime. All communities, including rural communities, will benefit from and are included…
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The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February 2025, included a commitment to having a public consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns to bring them more into line with the controls on other firearms in the interests of public…
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Police Chiefs are responsible for decisions on escorting abnormal loads and for how guidance relating to movements and charging should be implemented in their areas. Local variation in the management of abnormal loads may be necessary to account for factors such as geography and road…
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This Department supports the police and is clear that public confidence is crucial to our model of policing by consent. We hold our police to the highest of standards and expect action to be taken where this confidence is undermined. There are a number of measures in place to help ensure this.The…
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Serving police officers and police staff in England and Wales are given protections in law against detriment (adverse treatment), if they “blow the whistle” about wrongdoing by their forces or colleagues, providing certain conditions are met. This includes making disclosures about (A)…
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As part of a structured programme of reform, the Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) is increasing the number of veterinary and medical inspectors from an average of 14.5 in 2023 to 22 in March 2026. This provides additional specialist resource to undertake regulatory assurance activities in…
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This Government is currently reforming the statutory systems for investigating allegations of police misconduct (whether these are identified internally or via public complaints).The most serious and sensitive matters including deaths and serious injuries and allegations of serious corruption must…
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The Sullivan Review, commissioned by the previous administration made a number of recommendations concerning how data on sex and gender identity is collected. Individual departments are now considering these findings as part of their ongoing policy work.The Government Statistical Service (GSS) is…
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The White Paper “From Local to National: A New Model for Policing” makes clear that the voices of local police governance bodies should form part of the governance of the National Police Service (NPS).The Government will continue to work with Police and Crime Commissioners, Mayors and…
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The Home Office is working with policing and local government stakeholders to design and implement future governance arrangements to replace Police and Crime Commissioners from May 2028. We remain committed to developing a system of police governance that maintains consistently high standards of…
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Following the disorder in the summer of 2024, the then Home Secretary commissioned His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services to undertake an inspection into the police response. The outcome of their inspection was published in May 2025 and said that the National…
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We recognise the important work Police and Crime Commissioners do to commission vital support services for victims and witnesses of crime locally. We are working closely with the Ministry of Justice to establish how their existing victims’ responsibilities will operate within the new police…
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PSNI may in the course of their duties refer individuals who are victims of crime to IE’s National Control and Command Unit for the purposes of establishing the individual’s immigration status and/or to support Home Office safeguarding processes.The decision to refer any individual…
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Children and young people, particularly those exploited by county lines gangs, are often used to carry out criminal activity. That is why the Government is introducing a new offence of child criminal exploitation and new civil preventative orders to target those responsible for criminally…
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Any incident of non‑compliance with the ASPA, including those where animals died or were euthanised following non-compliance, is taken seriously and investigated in line with ASRU’s published compliance framework The framework explains how potential breaches are assessed and how…
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The Police Special Grant has an allocated budget of £49.6m in 2026-27, and increase of £0.6m compared to 2025-26.Decisions regarding applications for the coming financial year will be communicated to recipients in due course.
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The Home Office publishes information biennially on the amount raised by late night levies in England and Wales in the statistical publication on alcohol licensing. The latest available data is for the year ending 31 March 2024 and can be accessed at the following…
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It is a matter for each chief constable to determine how much of the Right Care, Right Person (RCRP) approach they wish to adopt and timing is ultimately an operational matter for each chief constable.It is recognised best practice for the police to work in close consultation with local partners to…
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The budget for the Immigration Enforcement Live Facial Recognition trials in Holyhead in November 2025 was £50,000; this was to cover the cost of the police technical support for 6 days of deployments and the watchlist production.The deployments were completed on budget.
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Obtaining the specific information requested would involve collating and verifying information from multiple systems owned by multiple teams across the Home Office and, therefore, could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
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The Home Office does not collect information on the training 999 call handlers have received.
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Anti-Social Behaviour causes misery in towns and communities across the country, often hitting the most vulnerable hardest.A key aim of our police reforms is to protect and revitalise neighbourhood policing. We are lifting national responsibilities off local forces, so they can focus on tackling…
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Operational independence is a fundamental principle of British policing, and this Government is committed to ensuring the police can perform their role without fear or favour. At the same time, being able to scrutinise police decisions, and Chief Constables being able to account for the decisions…
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The Home Office collects and publishes data on the size of the police workforce in England and Wales, on a biannual basis, as at 31 March and 30 September each year in the Police Workforce, England and Wales statistical bulletin available here:…
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The Home Office and the Department for Health and Social Care published a joint evaluation on the implementation of the Right Care, Right Person in December 2024, which showed that RCRP has led to a reduction in calls and deployments to RCRP-related incidents following implementation, estimating a…
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The Home Office is not aware of any direct involvement by Palantir in the police’s use of facial recognition systems.
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The Home Office is not aware of any direct involvement by Palantir in the police’s use of facial recognition systems.
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The Home Office Hotel booking operator is currently unable to provide star‑rating information for the hotels displayed within their booking tool.This is because several external content providers do not supply star ratings consistently, which means the operator cannot offer accurate or…
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The change budget is the capital property budget used to fund infrastructure installation costs only.
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The White Paper represents the most significant reforms to policing for nearly 200 years. The reforms to our policing system set out in the White Paper will have significant consequences for the way policing is funded in future. Changes to police governance, force mergers and the creation of the…
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The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February 2025, included a commitment to having a public consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns to bring them more into line with the controls on other firearms in the interests of public…
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The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February 2025, included a commitment to having a public consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns to bring them more into line with the controls on other firearms in the interests of public…
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The Home Office collects and publishes data on fixed penalty notices (FPNs) and other outcomes for motoring offences as part of the annual "Police Powers and Procedures: Roads Policing” statistics. The latest publication can be found at…
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The Animals in Science Regulation Unit has routinely published its Annual Report since 2011 and will continue to do so.The Report sets out all confirmed non‑compliance cases with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 and any enforcement actions taken.The Reports are available here:…
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State visits, especially those by our closest allies, create opportunities to strengthen alliances, support trade and investment, encourage innovation, and research collaboration, and reinforce the United Kingdom’s global influence.While we do not comment on operational matters, we and the…
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This Government takes road safety extremely seriously and is committed to ensuring police forces are supported and have the resources they need ensure road safety and reduce the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads, as well as tackling behaviours that make our roads less safe.Total…
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The Home Office is not aware of any direct involvement by Palantir in the police’s use of facial recognition systems.
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All potential Suppliers to the Home Office must meet rigorous financial, legal and technical eligibility checks at various stages of a procurement and before a Contract is awarded. Under Procurement Act 2023, the Home Office is able to exclude suppliers from participating in procurements due to…
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The Home Office does not hold any agreements with Palantir Technologies.
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Although ethical decisions around AI are the responsibility of individual Chief Constables and heads of law enforcement agencies, the Home Office is taking steps to ensure these decisions are evidence-based and transparent.The Covenant for Using Artificial Intelligence in Policing provides a…
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Cambridgeshire Constabulary maintains its own procurement function and the Home Office does not hold information on ongoing or prior contractual arrangements.
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The Government is committed to ensuring that all victims of hate crime receive equal protection under the law.That is why we tabled an amendment at Lords Report Stage to the Crime and Policing Bill, extending the aggravated offences in sections 28 to 32 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. This will…
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The Home Office is currently reviewing the potential merits of recording and reporting the number of animals that were bred for, but not used, in scientific procedures.
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The Home Office introduced a new benefits platform in August 2025 which includes a wellbeing hub with financial education and support.At the current time the Home Office is not intending to introduce a payroll deduction service for accessing credit unions.
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Free speech is a fundamental right and a defining value of our open and diverse society. Our legislation reflects this, enabling individuals to engage in robust debate. However, freedom of speech is a qualified right. It does not extend to language that incites violence, hatred, or criminal…
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Like all public bodies, the Department is subject to the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED), set out in section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, in the exercise of its public functions. In line with this, the Home Office is required to assesses potential differential impacts on people with protected…
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