Written questions by Obese-Jecty.

With reference to her Department's press release entitled UK-France treaty targeting illegal crossings comes into force, published on 7 August 2025, how many members of the criminal groups behind the trade have been arrested since the UK-France treaty came into into effect.

The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.The National Crime Agency (NCA) publish a performance overview in their ‘Annual Report and Accounts’. This provides a summary of the NCA’s purpose, objectives and performance during the year.

How many of the Warm Homes: Local Grant programmes will be delivered in Huntingdon constituency.

The Government does not hold data on Warm Homes: Local Grant delivery at the constituency level, as funding is awarded to local authorities and local authority consortia. Huntingdonshire is a member of the Cambridge consortium, which includes Cambridge, East Cambridgeshire, South Cambridgeshire, Fenland, Huntingdonshire and Peterborough. This consortium was allocated £8.57 million under this scheme and can spend up to an average of £15,000 on energy performance improvement and £15,000 on low carbon heat per eligible home. How the funding is allocated within the consortia is determined by the consortia lead through individual retrofit assessments and not by the Government.

With reference to his Department's policy paper entitled AI action plan for justice, published on 31 July 2025, what progress he has made in exploring new funding mechanisms to support AI adoption.

The Ministry of Justice is working with existing suppliers to leverage their AI capabilities to support the delivery of services and will continue to explore the opportunities available in the supplier market that will support the delivery of the AI Action Plan. Through Procurement framework including Crown Commercial Services Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Spark DPS frameworks and leveraging the benefits of Memorandums of Understanding in place between HMG and supplier in the marketplace, the Ministry of Justice will develop AI capabilities for the future. The Department is also exploring funding mechanisms for AI and digital with the Department of Science, Innovation & Technology.

With reference to his Department's policy paper entitled AI action plan for justice, published on 31 July 2025, what estimate he has made of the potential cost to the public purse of funding for (a) talent, (b) training and (c) proactive workforce planning to accelerate AI adoption.

The Ministry of Justice has not made a specific cost estimate for funding talent, training, or proactive workforce planning to accelerate AI adoption.In establishing the Justice AI Unit, we are focused on delivering value for money by building internal capability and reducing reliance on external consultancies. This includes the launch of the Justice AI Fellowship to attract top digital and AI specialists, the Justice AI Academy to develop graduate skills, and the AI Talent Accelerator to upskill existing staff. These initiatives form part of the Department’s wider workforce and digital capability programmes, funded within existing departmental resources.

With reference to page 34 of the National Security Strategy 2025, CP 1338, published on 24 June 2025, what the scope is of mechanisms within the UK-EU Security and Defence Partnership to help improve maritime security.

The Government pledged in its manifesto to pursue a new relationship with the EU to strengthen European security, support growth and reinforce NATO. The recently released Strategic Defence Review (SDR) further reiterates this commitment and recognises that international partnerships are crucial for the UK’s security and prosperity. The Government delivered on this commitment at the UK-EU Summit on 19 May where we agreed a new and ambitious Security and Defence Partnership (SDP). Implementation of the SDP is a joint effort with the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office and is progressing. Since May, my Rt Hon Friend, Defence Secretary John Healey has held discussions with the European Commissioner for Defence and Space, Andrius Kubilius, where they discussed their ambition to explore the potential for enhanced UK-EU cooperation under SAFE. In October, the Foreign Secretary and the Defence Secretary will both meet with the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas, for the first UK/EU foreign and security policy dialogue under the SDP. In addition, Ministers and officials from across Government have held consultations with their EU counterparts on a range of issues, including but not limited to, tackling irregular migration and hybrid threats. We continue to work with EU counterparts to strengthen dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation across the range of issues covered in the SDP, including maritime and space security. As the Defence Secretary has previously said to this House, this Government will ensure that any UK commitment– whether financial or non-financial – will provide value for the UK taxpayer and supports our defence goals. We will continue to prioritise engagement and cooperation on the issues that are most important in helping to safeguard European security and prosperity – all in support of this government’s NATO First defence policy.

How many children were murdered by other children by (a) age and (b) gender in each year since 2015.

The information requested on the number of children prosecuted for the offences listed (all forms of violent assault, battery, actual bodily harm, grievous bodily harm, murder and sexual assault offences) by age and gender, can be found at: Criminal Justice System statistics quarterly: December 2024 - GOV.UK.The Ministry of Justice does not hold data on the number of children arrested and charged as this is a matter for the police and the Crown Prosecution Service. However, some information on arrests and charges can be found within the Crime Outcomes in England and Wales produced by the Home Office.Data centrally held does not include the number of children who were victims of crimes committed by other children, beyond information included in the offence type, nor how many children were murdered by other children, beyond infanticide. Whilst this information may be held in court records, examining individual records would incur disproportionate costs.

With reference to page 109 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, what progress he has made on prepositioning (a) ammunition and (b) heavier equipment in appropriately dispersed storage facilities in Europe.

The British Army has equipment prepositioned in Germany and we continually review and adjust this position according to operational commitments. As the Army continues to progress through its modernisation programme, further work will be undertaken to explore potential future opportunities for prepositioning across Europe.

With reference to page 91 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, by when he will enable the annual publication of schedule data of (a) in-development and (b) upgrade programmes.

The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) set out the need for external scrutiny of UK warfighting readiness through annual reporting of key data, as one of a number of possible measures in a wider Defence Readiness Bill. Given its potentially broad scope, a Defence Readiness Bill may be a legislative vehicle for wider Government, not just Defence. We are therefore working closely across Government through the Cabinet Office-led Home Defence programme to shape key requirements, and understand and identify the measures needed. This preliminary work will allow us introduce legislation when parliamentary time allows.

How many and what proportion of people claiming asylum arrived through regular migration pathways from 1 January 2025 to 1 July 2025.

The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘asylum detailed datasets’ as part of the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’.Data on asylum claims by route of entry to the UK is published in table Asy_D01a and data on initial decisions on asylum claims is published in table Asy_D02. Additional data on the age of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) is published in table Asy_01a of the ‘asylum summary tables’. The latest data relates to the year ending June 2025. For further information on the data, see the notes pages of the tables.Data on asylum seekers in receipt of support, by support type at the end of each quarter, is published in table Asy_D09. The latest data relates to as at 30 June 2025.Data on the outcomes of asylum appeals is published in table Asy_D07; the latest data relates to the year ending March 2023. Data on age disputes is published in table Asy_D05; the latest data relates to the year ending June 2024. Appeals and age assessment data is currently unavailable due to ongoing work on a new case working system. Updated data will be included in a future edition of the Immigration System Statistics release.

With reference to page 11 of the National Security Strategy 2025, CP 1338, published on 24 June 2025, what recent progress has he made on increasing the UK's warfighting readiness.

The National Security Strategy sets out a hardening and sharpening of our approach to national security. Alongside this, the Government has accepted all of the recommendations in the Strategic Defence Review. We will deliver the largest sustained investment in our Armed Forces since the Cold War, with an emphasis on greater lethality, warfighting readiness, deeper stockpiles of munitions and innovation in, and adoption of, new technologies. The Defence Investment Plan, which will be published in the autumn, will ensure we have the capabilities we need to deliver a new design for a more lethal and agile Integrated Force, alongside investment in infrastructure and people - supporting in turn our warfighting readiness.

With reference to page 53 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, published on 8 July 2025, what technology has been identified for the regional cluster at RAF Wyton.

RAF Wyton is a key site for Cyber and Specialist Operations Command (CSOC) and UK Defence. Defence continues to invest in the site and is considering future options for RAF Wyton as a defence technology hub that could act as a catalyst for greater investment in the local area for associated industry and academia. This will be centred around the existing unique collaborative facility and reflects similar national and international technology hubs.

What each of the clusters of the Asylum Support Accommodation Programme are responsible for implementing.

Ahead of the roll out of FACT in 2029 when the current AASC contracts end, it was determined that a faster short term measure needed to be introduced to find more non hotel based asylum accommodation, in answer to this need BASP was developed to bridge the current gap in Dispersal Accommodation, support hotel exit and prevent hotel re-entry.The Asylum Support Payment (ASP) project is aiming to enhance the service for users (c. 79,000) by retendering the service using our framework suppliers. The current contract is delivered by Prepaid Financial Services Limited (PFS) and expires in May 2027.For FACT we are reprocuring the Accommodation Provision, Accommodation Management including security and sustenance, Transport, Service User Assistance including safeguarding and wellbeing and External Assurance to replace the existing AASC contracts.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to page 34 of the National Security Strategy 2025, published on 24 June 2025, what recent progress she has made on negotiating a new science and technology partnership with the US.

During President Donald Trump’s State Visit in September 2025, the Government announced a landmark Technology Prosperity Deal (TPD), in the form of an MoU, which commits the UK and US to collaborate in areas such as AI, nuclear energy and quantum technologies. This partnership will build our capabilities to solve some of the greatest challenges we face today, driving investment and expertise between our leading science and growth hubs, delivering cheap, reliable energy and creating new high skilled jobs.

With reference to the data tables accompanying the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Annual Report 2024-25, published on 11 August 2025, what the nature of the concern was of the aircraft certification risk for tranche one of the Chinook Capability Sustainment Programme.

The National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Annual (NISTA) Report 2024-25 referenced the Chinook H-47(Extended Range) certification risk to highlight that timely information sharing between the US and the UK was important to meeting the Programme schedule. Significant progress has been made since the publication of the NISTA report to ensure the timely release of information from the US Government. The Programme is on track to conduct flight trials in 2027, managed in association with the US Government, ahead of final certification agreement with the UK Military Aviation Authority. The NISTA report also highlighted that considerable attention and resource is being dedicated to H-47(Extended Range) certification.

With reference to the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, CP 1337, published on 23 June 2025, what progress she has made on channelling pensions capital into the UK to support IS-8 sectors.

The Pension Schemes Bill was introduced on 5 June and will implement the reforms outlined in the first phase of the landmark Pensions Review,The Bill sets out a vision for a pensions market with fewer, larger schemes which can use the benefits of scale to invest in productive assets – including investing in the eight sectors identified in the Industrial Strategy – as well as deliver better outcomes for savers. These reforms support the Mansion House Accord, an industry-led pledge to invest at least 10 per cent of defined contribution default funds into private markets by 2030, of which at least half is in the UK.Furthermore, last year the British Business Bank announced the establishment of the British Growth Partnership, designed to crowd in investment from UK pension funds for our most innovative, fastest-growing companies.

How many (a) adult males, (b) adult females and c) children have arrived via small boat since 5 July 2024.

The Home Office publishes statistics on detected irregular arrivals to the UK in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on detected irregular arrivals by method of entry (including small boat arrivals), age group, and sex is published in table Irr_D01 of the ‘Irregular migration to the UK detailed datasets’, with the latest data up to the end of June 2025.

What progress she has made on preparing an outline business case for the Asylum Support Accommodation Programme.

Under the Asylum Support and Accommodation Programme (ASAP) now known as Future Asylum Contract Transformation (FACT) Project, a Delivery Model Assessment was undertaken looking at the current contractual landscape for Asylum Support. This includes the current Advice, Issue, Reporting and Eligibility (AIRE) service due to the integration of these services alongside other core Asylum Business requirements.As with all Public Sector contracts, re-procurement is required to replace any expiring contracts to ensure value for money solutions to support delivery of future Asylum initiatives.The outline business case is currently being prepared for submission for internal approval towards the end of 2025.It is not currently thought that locations will change from current dispersal plans, however, this will be considered in more detail as the programme progresses.

With reference to her Department's press release entitled UK-France treaty targeting illegal crossings comes into force, published on 7 August 2025, what Border Force's operational strategy is to (a) identify and (b) process groups of inadmissible migrants for removal.

We do not comment on operations. This would give criminal gangs an insight into our operational processes, undermining the work we are carrying out to deter small boat crossings and tackle the criminal smuggling gangs behind these.

With reference to her Department's press release entitled UK-France treaty targeting illegal crossings comes into force, published on 7 August 2025, what discussions she has had with the French authorities on the steps they are taking in order to disrupt supplies of equipment to the French coast.

In their Joint Declaration of the 37th UK-France Summit on 10 July 2025 the Prime Minister and President Macron committed to deepening UK/France cooperation on tackling irregular migration to the UK.As a result of the strengthened relationship between the UK and France, the Home Secretary and her French counterpart meet regularly to discuss measures for tackling small boat crossings in the English Channel, including the delivery of the new returns pilot, and the ongoing French maritime review which will deploy novel and innovative approaches to intercept boats.The Home Office will continue to engage with French counterparts to support the implementation of these measures, with the intention of contributing to efforts aimed at addressing the issue of small boat crossings.

With reference to page 110 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, what collaboration he has sought with NATO allies on the acquisition of key armoured land platforms.

The UK’s new Defence Industrial Strategy puts international collaboration at the start, and at the heart, of procurement. Under Defence Reform, a new Director General International Collaboration and Exports has been created to help deliver this. The UK is collaborating with NATO allies on three of the British Army’s armoured land platforms: Ajax, Boxer and Challenger 3, which are all at different stages of delivery. As well as this, earlier this year the UK reaffirmed plans to partner with Germany to deliver new artillery and bridging systems under the auspices of the Trinty House Agreement. Looking further ahead, the Land Mobility Programme, which is still in its concept phase, is already actively considering options for collaboration. For example, at DSEI 25 it was announced that the UK joined the Common Armoured Vehicle System programme alongside Norway, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Latvia, and Sweden to scope the benefits of this multinational programme. These collaborations also contribute significantly to Growth, generating billions of pounds worth of export opportunity and supporting thousands of skilled jobs at key sites across the UK.