Written questions by Stafford.

Whether any inspections were undertaken by the Animals in Science Regulation Unit following reports concerning the welfare of dogs during the recent period of extreme temperatures at MBR Acres.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment her Department has made of the use of statutory demands, bankruptcy petitions and other debt-recovery and insolvency proceedings as a means of economic abuse within the meaning of sect

We recognise that statutory demands, bankruptcy petitions and other debt-recovery or insolvency proceedings may be used by perpetrators as a form of economic abuse, where they are used to control, coerce or cause financial harm to a victim. Economic abuse...

What data her Department holds on (a) National Crime Recording Standard outcomes for course-of-conduct domestic abuse reports recorded as Domestic Incident rather than as a recorded crime, and (b) the

The Home Office collects information from the police forces of England and Wales on the crime outcomes of domestic abuse-related offences. These are published annually by the Office for National Statistics. The most recent data, for the year ending March ...

Whether her Department and the College of Policing have issued guidance to address the physical-injury threshold in frontline police triage of domestic abuse reports.

The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 makes clear that domestic abuse extends beyond physical injury to include non-physical forms of harm, including controlling or coercive behaviour and economic abuse, such as coerced debt.The College of Policing is the standard ...

What data her Department holds on the number of domestic abuse reports closed or recorded as a Domestic Incident rather than as a recorded crime, on the basis that the conduct reported was financial o

The Home Office collects information from the police forces of England and Wales on the crime outcomes of domestic abuse-related offences. These are published annually by the Office for National Statistics. The most recent data, for the year ending March ...

What guidance the Home Office and the College of Policing have issued to ensure that frontline officers recognise coerced debt and the misuse of civil and insolvency proceedings as domestic abuse.

The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 makes clear that domestic abuse extends beyond physical injury to include non-physical forms of harm, including controlling or coercive behaviour and economic abuse, such as coerced debt.The College of Policing is the standard ...

What assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies of the persistence of a physical-injury threshold in frontline police triage of domestic abuse reports, in the co

Controlling or Coercive Behaviour prosecutions have increased from 3,999 in 2023/24 to 5,374 in 2024/25, and 3,293 in the first half of 2025/26. However, we are aware that this offence is still under identified in how frontline police triage domestic abus...

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of the use of operational assessment frameworks such as THRIVE (Threat, Harm, Risk, Investigation, Vulnerability and Engagement) in informing polic

Police forces across England and Wales use a structured way of assessing threat, harm and risk at point of point of contact and deployment. THRIVE is one particular definition and model of such an assessment. The adoption of THRIVE or similar models is ba...

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that DEI training provided to police forces is informed by relevant operational policing experience and reflects frontline policing.

The College of Policing sets clear, evidence-based national standards for police training through the National Policing Curriculum and Authorised Professional Practice. The College regularly reviews the policing curriculum, including elements relating to ...

What (a) evaluation mechanisms and (b) outcome metrics are used to assess the effectiveness of diversity, equality and inclusiveness training in police forces.

The College of Policing sets clear, evidence-based national standards for police training through the National Policing Curriculum and Authorised Professional Practice. The College regularly reviews the policing curriculum, including elements relating to ...

What estimate she has made of the cost of diversity, equity and inclusion training delivered to police forces in England and Wales in each of the last three years.

The College of Policing sets clear, evidence-based national standards for police training through the National Policing Curriculum and Authorised Professional Practice. The College regularly reviews the policing curriculum, including elements relating to ...

What role her Department has had in the Department for Health and Social Care’s consideration of banning the sale of low and no alcohol products to under 18s.

In Fit for the Future, a 10-Year Health Plan for England, the Government committed to explore options to restrict access to no- and low-alcohol products so they are treated in the same ways as all alcohol products, including banning sales to under 18 year...

What estimate her Department has made of the average administrative cost per asylum applicant of processing an asylum claim, including costs associated with interviews, interpretation, legal support a

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.A breakdown of Asylum Costs and Productivity, is ...

Whether Defending Democracy Taskforce has made an assessment of the potential impact of convicted terrorists standing for elected public office on levels of national security.

The Defending Democracy Taskforce coordinates work across Government to continually review and respond to the full range of threats to our democratic system, working closely with the security and intelligence agencies, law enforcement and other partners.I refer the Hon Member to the question answered by Minister McGovern on 9 March 2026.

Whether any services provided by Yoti are currently used in Home Office identity verification, border control, or age assurance systems.

Details of central government contracts above £12,000 for procurements commenced before 24 February 2025 are published on Contracts Finder. Contracts procured under the Procurement Act 2023, which came into force on 24 February 2025, are published on the Central Digital Platform Find a Tender service.

What guidance her Department provides to police forces on the disposal of seized off-road electric motorbikes.

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. The Government intends, though the Crime and Policing Bill, to give the police greater powers to clamp down on all vehicles being used anti-socially with officers no longer required to issue a section 59 warning before seizure can occur.

Whether she has made an assessment of the risk to public safety arising from the publication of sensitive information relating to the physical security of properties on local authority planning registers.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to UIN 106884 on 27 January 2026 by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

What assessment the Department has made of the potential impact of refusal to grant temporary visas to overseas sheep shearers on rural farming communities and animal welfare.

Immigration Rules concessionary arrangements are temporary and subject to regular Ministerial review. The sheep shearing concession had been operating for 14 years and closed after the 2025 shearing season as it reasonable to expect that over this period a long-term sustainable solution had been found to fill this workforce gap. To provide plenty of time to plan and transition to new arrangements DEFRA and the sector was informed last year that the concession would not be renewed again.In addition, those in the UK on visas which allow general work rights, such as dependants or Youth Mobility Scheme visa holders, are free to take up work as a sheep shearer subject to the relevant visa restrictions.

For what reason dual British-Australian nationals, including children of such nationals who were born in Australia, will be required to hold a UK passport or a Certificate of Entitlement to enter the UK from 26 February 2026; what steps her Department is taking to support such people; and for what reason such requirements do not apply to dual British-Irish nationals.

Under UK immigration legislation, a dual British Citizen is not eligible for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). Dual British citizens should prove their permission to travel and enter the UK border with a valid British passport or a passport containing a Certificate of Entitlement (CoE) to the right of abode. Without either of these documents, they risk being refused boarding when travelling to the UK from 25 February 2026. We have delivered a comprehensive range of communications and engaged with an extensive network of stakeholders, including global carriers and operators. We have sent emails to those impacted and have included information for dual citizens in our ETA communications campaign which has been running since 2023.Irish citizens, including dual citizens, are also exempt from the ETA requirement.

What assessment the Government has made of the potential impact of historical sex-based discrimination in British nationality law on individuals born to British mothers prior to January 1983.

Legislative reforms made through the British Nationality Act 1981 removed previous sex-based restrictions on the acquisition of British nationality. Further changes made in 2003 and 2022 provide routes for individuals born before 1983 to claim citizenship under sections 4C and 4L of the 1981 Act, where they were previously unable to become British due to historical legislative unfairness.