Written questions by Snowden.

What information her Department holds on the number of drone-related incidents reported to the police by type of incident for each of the last five years.

The police provide the Home Office with analysis of general trends in drone misuse across the UK to help co-ordinate work and allocate resources across government.Over the past five years these trends have shown a consistent increase in both legal and illegal drone use.The police maintain detailed central reporting and recording which is used for operational and planning purposes.

What the total budget allocation for the National Police Air Service was in each of the last five financial years.

As NPAS is a police-led collaboration, it is their National Strategic Board which is responsible for setting and evaluating the strategic direction of NPAS, as well as for all operating and financial decisions. Policing leaders are best placed to determine their requirements for air support and how to meet this using the resources available. However, Home Office officials remain closely involved and continue to monitor and support NPAS and each year agree objectives and deliverables for NPAS within the funding envelope available.The NPAS Strategic Board is responsible for setting the strategic direction of NPAS, the terms of the Collaboration Agreement arranged through section 22A of the Police Act 1996 agreed between forces, and for all operating and financial decisions within the scope of the grant funding agreement, such as the number and location of NPAS bases.The total budget allocation for NPAS in each of the last five years was as follows:FY25/26: £10,672,695FY24/25: £10,276,503FY23/24: £10,470,000FY22/23: £15,478,437FY21/22: £11,500,000NPAS currently operates a fleet of 24 aircraft, comprising 20 rotary (8 EC135 T2, 8 EC135 P2, and 4 EC145 models), and 4 fixed wing. NPAS is in the process of partially replacing this fleet.NPAS operates a network of 15 strategically located bases across England and Wales, providing vital air support to police forces nationwide. In addition to these regional bases, NPAS also operates a 24-hour service from Lippitts Hill in Epping Forest, supporting the Metropolitan Police Service and ensuring continuous air coverage for London. There are currently no changes to the base network planned for the next two years.

How many people have had their UK citizenship reinstated following a successful appeal since 26 February 2025.

Since 26 February 2025, there have been no cases of reinstated citizenship following a successful appeal.

What discussions she has had with police forces on the adequacy of their capacity to investigate complex fraud cases.

The Home Office is leading cross-system efforts to tackle complex fraud, and improving law enforcement capability is a key part of this work.Having now completed recruitment of the new National Fraud Squad, we continue to work closely with key partners to ensure the delivery of a new, improved national reporting service and to enhance fraud training and skills. These measures will ensure a proactive, intelligence-based approach to investigating complex fraud cases.From 2026, we will monitor each force in England and Wales on their performance in tackling fraud through the His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) Police Efficiency Effectiveness and Legitimacy (PEEL) framework. This will provide valuable insight on investigative practices including capacity to investigate complex fraud cases.Further detail will be set out in the forthcoming Fraud Strategy.

How the independent review of stalking laws will engage with (a) survivors, (b) survivor organisations and (c) experts.

On Wednesday 22 October the Government announced that Richard Wright KC has been appointed to lead the independent Stalking Legislation Review.The review will consider whether the criminal law on stalking needs to change to ensure the police and wider criminal justice partners have the clearest possible framework for effective identification, management and prosecution of stalking cases.The views of victims and survivors will be at the heart of our approach. The review will engage with experts from specialist stalking charities, academia and across the criminal justice system alongside direct engagement with victims and survivors themselves.

What steps she is taking to ensure that reports of fraudulent company registrations made to Action Fraud are treated as criminal matters.

The Government is working with City of London Police to replace Action Fraud with a new and improved national police reporting service for fraud and cyber crime. The new service (called Report Fraud) is nearing completion with full transition expected in early December 2025. The new service will support tackling fraudulent company registrations by providing law enforcement with better intelligence for investigations and other disruption activity.The new service will also improve the support services and reporting tools for victims. In addition, the Government has launched a National Fraud Squad (NFS) of specialist posts, led by the NCA and City of London Police. The NFS will help to combat fraudulent company registrations by taking a proactive, intelligence-led approach to identifying and disrupting the most serious fraudsters.

How many removal flights to France are planned under the current pilot scheme in the next three months.

Returns to France under the UK-FR returns agreement commenced on 18 September 2025. This is a pilot that we want to expand and therefore the numbers will vary. We will not go into the operational details as this would provide criminal smuggling gangs with information that they may use to continue to their vile trade.

How many immigration crime network disruptions were led by the UK National Crime Agency in the last 12 months.

Last year, the National Crime Agency delivered approximately 350 disruptions targeting people smuggling networks - each one removing, preventing, or reducing a criminal threat. This marked a 40% increase compared to the previous year.

What the average cost to the public purse is for each removal flight under the UK-France treaty.

The Home Office has made returns under the new UK-France agreement utilising both charter flights and regular scheduled flights. This approach allows the Home Office to maximise value for money and best satisfy operational requirements.We do not comment on individual charter flight costs as these are commercially sensitive arrangements that can provide an insight into pricing structure. To do otherwise could deter the private sector from entering into contracts with the Home Office.

If she will take steps to ensure that SMEs in the private security sector that are not (a) Approved Contractor Scheme accredited and (b) members of the S12 Security Leadership Group are able to contribute to future policy development impacting that sector.

The Government is keen to work with the industry on reforming the private security industry.The Home Office continues to engage with the range of different organisations representing sectoral interest on an ongoing basis both directly and through the Security Industry Authority, including public consultations on major policy changes.

With reference to the Minister for Security's speech entitled Minister calls on business leaders to act now against cyber risks, published on 14 October 2025, what steps she is taking to encourage businesses in Fylde constituency to sign up for the Early Warning service.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), law enforcement and industry offer a comprehensive package of cyber protection measures designed to strengthen national resilience against online threats.One of those measures is the NCSC Early Warning Service, which is a free, easy-to-use alert system that notifies UK organisations of potential cyber threats affecting their networks. By signing up, businesses receive timely alerts that can help detect and respond to threats before they escalate, improving visibility and resilience across their digital infrastructure. Businesses can register via the MyNCSC portal: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/section/active-cyber-defence/early-warningThe regional network of Cyber Resilience Centres (CRCs) in England and Wales, funded by the Home Office, offer the full package of measures to small and medium-sized enterprises, that often lack in-house expertise or awareness of cyber threats and risks.CRCs bridge that gap by providing trusted guidance aligned with NCSC standards, offering tailored, bitesize advice and long-term support. CRCs also help organisations achieve Cyber Essentials certification – the UK Government-backed scheme setting five baseline controls proven to reduce cyber risk. Certification signals a commitment to security, strengthens supply chain assurance, and is recommended by NCSC as the minimum standard for all organisations.The Early Warning Service is a key tool offered as part of this package of measures, with sign-up promoted to businesses in Fylde by the Cyber Resilience Centre for the North-West. We would advise all businesses in Fylde to join this local CRC, which can provide advice and tailored services appropriate to the individual needs of each business.

If she will consider the potential merits of requiring Disclosure and Barring Service checks to include civil offences where a safeguarding issue was involved.

The purpose of a criminal record check issued by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is to provide information to employers and others to help them judge the suitability of an individual for a particular role.On the highest level enhanced DBS checks, which are used for the most sensitive roles working with children or vulnerable adults, chief officers of police have the discretion to include non-criminal information held on their systems, if they consider it relevant and proportionate to disclose, to support safeguarding.DBS checks are only one part of a broader safeguarding framework. Employers and organisations are expected to consider a range of factors when assessing suitability for roles, including references, employment history, and other relevant information.We continually keep the disclosure and barring regime under review to ensure it remains effective and proportionate.

What engagement her Department has had with police representative bodies on the introduction of digital ID cards.

The Digital ID programme is part of a broader strategy to tackle illegal immigration. By making it harder for people without the right to work to gain employment, the government plans to reduce incentives for unlawful entry. Mandating digital ID for right to work checks will strengthen our current approach by:o Acting as a deterrent to would-be migrants hoping to work in the UK illegally.o Ensuring consistency and simplifying the checks that employers must carry out, making it easier for UK citizens and legal residents to demonstrate they have the right to work.o Removing the reliance on physical documents in the UK, making it harder for forged documents to be used as proof of right to work. The Government will start a public consultation on the new digital ID by the end of the year, and has begun engaging with several key stakeholders already. We will continue to engage with a range of organisations over the coming weeks as we prepare the consultation. Police representative bodies will have the opportunity to contribute to the consultation process.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of digital ID cards on illegal immigration.

The Digital ID programme is part of a broader strategy to tackle illegal immigration. By making it harder for people without the right to work to gain employment, the government plans to reduce incentives for unlawful entry. Mandating digital ID for right to work checks will strengthen our current approach by:o Acting as a deterrent to would-be migrants hoping to work in the UK illegally.o Ensuring consistency and simplifying the checks that employers must carry out, making it easier for UK citizens and legal residents to demonstrate they have the right to work.o Removing the reliance on physical documents in the UK, making it harder for forged documents to be used as proof of right to work. The Government will start a public consultation on the new digital ID by the end of the year, and has begun engaging with several key stakeholders already. We will continue to engage with a range of organisations over the coming weeks as we prepare the consultation. Police representative bodies will have the opportunity to contribute to the consultation process.

What policies are in place to review or revoke asylum status in cases where the individual travels to their home country after being granted asylum in the UK.

The UK has a proud history of providing protection to those who genuinely need it, for as long as it is needed, in accordance with our international obligations. However, if there is any evidence to suggest that an individual who has been recognised as a refugee has returned to their home country, the circumstances will be investigated, and refugee status may be revoked. If someone returns to their home country, this will usually indicate ‘voluntary re-availment’ and may lead to revocation of refugee status under paragraph 339A(i)-(vi) or humanitarian protection under paragraph 339GA of the Immigration Rules. All cases are considered on a case-by-case basis and protection status will only be revoked in these circumstances where there is no protection need on any grounds.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of levels of immigration on patterns of social cohesion.

The Home Office will increase existing English language requirements for economic migrants and introduce new English language requirements for dependants of those coming under economic routes.These measures support the integration of those coming here to work here (and their families) into UK communities, as well; as ensuring that those coming to work here are less vulnerable to abuse and exploitation in the workplace.

How many people were reported missing in each of the last five years.

The Home Office does not hold this data centrally.Information about current missing persons incidents is held by individual police forces. The National Crime Agency’s UK Missing Persons Unit holds the national database for all missing incidents that are unresolved after 72hours, allowing the police to have access to missing persons information across force boundaries. In addition, annual missing persons statistics, broken down to police force level, are published by the National Crime Agency’s Missing Person’s Unit in its annual data report which can be found here: Downloads - National Crime Agency

If she will make an estimate of how many arrestees waived their right to make no comment during police interviews in the latest period for which data is available.

The Home Office does not collect information on the content of police interviews, including whether suspects waive their right to make no comment during police interviews. This information may be held by individual police forces.The Home Office collects and publishes data on arrests by police. The most recent publication relating to arrest statistics can be found at the link below:Stop and search, arrests and mental health detentions, March 2024 - GOV.UKThe Home Office takes a judicious approach to the collection of data from police in order to avoid disproportionate burdens on forces. More information on the Annual Data Requirement is available at the following link:Home Office Annual Data Requirement (ADR) data – Privacy Information Notice - GOV.UK

What guidance her Department provides to (a) councils, (b) police forces, (c) health boards, (d) housing providers and (e) other relevant local agencies on the of sharing information during anti-social behaviour case reviews.

The Home Office provides statutory guidance to support local agencies in the use of the powers and tools in the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act, including the ASB case review. The guidance makes clear how information should be shared between relevant agencies to ensure the effective operation of the case review. The guidance sets out that relevant agencies should develop agreements for information sharing, risk assessments and a common understanding of the aims of the ASB Case Review.Victims can query decisions with the lead agency for the ASB case review where it has been decided that the threshold has not been met. Where the local council has led the review, victims may also submit a complaint to their using the councils’ formal complaints system. If exhausted or no response is received, victims can also contact the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are creating a new duty for police and crime commissioners (PCCs) to provide a route for victims to query decisions via their office. This includes victims being able to ask the PCC to review decisions made by the lead agency in an ASB case review where they have deemed that the threshold has not been met.

What mechanisms exist for victims to challenge decisions on whether thresholds for anti-social behaviour case reviews are met.

The Home Office provides statutory guidance to support local agencies in the use of the powers and tools in the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act, including the ASB case review. The guidance makes clear how information should be shared between relevant agencies to ensure the effective operation of the case review. The guidance sets out that relevant agencies should develop agreements for information sharing, risk assessments and a common understanding of the aims of the ASB Case Review.Victims can query decisions with the lead agency for the ASB case review where it has been decided that the threshold has not been met. Where the local council has led the review, victims may also submit a complaint to their using the councils’ formal complaints system. If exhausted or no response is received, victims can also contact the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are creating a new duty for police and crime commissioners (PCCs) to provide a route for victims to query decisions via their office. This includes victims being able to ask the PCC to review decisions made by the lead agency in an ASB case review where they have deemed that the threshold has not been met.