Written questions by McMurdock.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled ‘White paper sets out reforms to policing’ published on 26 January 2026, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of reducing the number of police forces in England and Wales on (a) local accountability and (b) community policing.

The Police Reform White Paper, published on 26 January 2026, set out our ambition to significantly reduce the number of police forces across England and Wales by the end of next Parliament.We will shortly launch an Independent Review of Police Force structures, which will make recommendations on the optimum number and configuration of forces. The review will consider a wide range of evidence and engage extensively with policing and community stakeholders in making its recommendations.The White Paper announced that we will require larger forces to be comprised of Local Policing Areas, with policing teams focused exclusively on local policing issues, ensuring that every community is served by visible and responsible neighbourhood officers. The Independent Review will make recommendations on the size and composition of Local Policing Areas as well as examine how governance arrangements will operate in the new model.

What role Police and Crime Commissioners will have in relation to the National Police Service before the position of Police and Crime Commissioner is abolished.

The Police Reform White Paper makes clear that the voices of local police governance bodies should form part of the governance of the NPS.We will continue to work with local partners to help establish the NPS, including Police and Crime Commissioners up until they are abolished in May 2028.

Pursuant to her Department’s press release entitled ‘White paper sets out reforms to policing’ published on 26 January 2026, when the National Police Service will be established.

We will start work immediately to set up the National Police Service and legislate for it as soon as Parliamentary time allows.It will first host national services such as IT and the National Police Air Service and later bring in national crime-fighting responsibilities.

What steps she plans to take to ensure that coastal and rural areas are effectively supported by centralised police forces.

The Police Reform White Paper, published on 26 January 2026, set out an ambitious package of reform, including an ambition to significantly reduce the number of police forces across England and Wales by the end of next Parliament.We will shortly launch an Independent Review of Police Force Structures, which will make recommendations on the optimum number and configuration of forces. This will consider a wide range of evidence in making its recommendations by Summer.These larger forces will be comprised of Local Policing Areas, with policing teams focused exclusively on local policing issues, ensuring that every community is served by visible and responsible neighbourhood officers. We will also establish Local Policing Guarantees that will set out the minimum levels of service the public should expect to receive from their police force, regardless of where they live.

What her planned timetable is for completing the reorganisation of police forces in England and Wales.

This Government published its Police Reform White Paper on 26 January 2026. It set out an ambitious package of reform, including an ambition to move to fewer, larger forces by the end of next parliament.We will shortly launch an Independent Review of Police Force Structures, which will make recommendations on the optimum configuration of fewer, larger forces, and the timetable for implementation. The Review is expected to report its findings in summer.

How many additional neighbourhood police officers are expected to be recruited under the new graduate recruitment scheme.

The Government is providing up to £7m to Police Now, a specialist recruitment provider for graduate entry into the police, to recruit in the region of 280 graduates into specialist neighbourhood and detective roles by March 2026. Around half of these recruits will specialise in neighbourhood policing.Police Now has a strong track record of helping to bring the best and brightest talent into policing, delivering a diverse pool of high-quality officer recruits to neighbourhood and investigative teams, with a strong emphasis on rapid deployment and measurable community impact.They play a key role in the delivery of new neighbourhood policing specialist officers to support the Government’s Safer Streets mission and help build a stronger connection between communities and the police.

Pursuant to her Department publishing an open opportunity contract on 6 January 2026 entitled Home Office Returns Reintegration Programme (HORRP) - Phase 3 - 2026 – 2028, whether there will be a cap on the quantity of financial assistance provided under the scheme to help migrants with setting up a business.

The in-kind (non-cash) provision to assist returning individuals to set up a business or access locally available educational or training opportunities through the programme is capped at £1500. The £1500 Returnee Educational and Entrepreneurship Fund (REEF) is a ring-fenced amount that those who signed-up to the programme can apply for following arrival. They will have to submit a business proposal to either set up a business, further education or vocational training. If the proposal is successful then the delivery partner procures everything in the individual's behalf so no funds are provided to the returnee.

Pursuant to her Department publishing an open opportunity contract on 6 January 2026 entitled Home Office Returns Reintegration Programme (HORRP) - Phase 3 - 2026 – 2028, whether her Department plans to issue similar contracts to support deportations to other countries.

This programme plays a crucial part in negotiating returns arrangements with other countries, which is essential to making returns of their citizens effective and sustainable, so we will continue working with countries worldwide to achieve this.

With reference to her Department publishing an open opportunity contract on 6 January 2026 entitled Home Office Returns Reintegration Programme (HORRP) - Phase 3 - 2026 – 2028, how many additional removals does she estimate this scheme will result in.

We have an ambitious target of continuously increasing returns in the coming years, and this contract will play an important supporting role in helping us deliver on that objective.

Pursuant to her Department publishing an open opportunity contract on 6 January 2026 entitled Home Office Returns Reintegration Programme (HORRP) - Phase 3 - 2026 – 2028, whether the funding to support legal migration pathways and recruitment in third countries will include migration to Europe.

Support provided by the HO Returns Reintegration Programme is only in relation to potentially migrating to a third country and not back to the UK.

Pursuant to her Department publishing an open opportunity contract on 6 January 2026 entitled Home Office Returns Reintegration Programme (HORRP) - Phase 3 - 2026 – 2028, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of this scheme on the future number of illegal migrants coming to the UK from (a) Algeria and (b) Sri Lanka.

Since 2021, the UK has seen record numbers of people arriving illegally and claiming asylum, with increasing pressure on public services and accommodation – this scheme is designed to improve returns cooperation with these countries, support those being returned to their country of origin, and ultimately remove more people.

What proportion of attempted re-entries are successfully detected under the reciprocal agreement with France.

Two individuals who had previously been returned from the UK to France under the reciprocal exchange agreement attempted to re-enter. They were detected, detained, and their cases expedited for return. We are not aware of any other attempts to re-enter the UK from those returned to France under the scheme.We continue to work closely with our French counterparts to ensure that those who are returned under the agreement do not re-enter the UK illegally.

How many arrests have been made for breaches of immigration bail conditions in each of the last three years.

The Home Office does not hold the specific information requested on arrests for breaches of immigration bail conditions.The Home Office collects and publishes information on arrests for notifiable offences (including Stop and search, arrests and mental health detentions) and bail statistics (including Police custody and pre-charge bail) on an annual basis. The most recent statistics for each are:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/stop-and-search-arrests-and-mental-health-detentions-march-2025https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-custody-and-pre-charge-bail-year-ending-march-2024

What recent steps her Department has taken to reduce the risk of children being groomed through applications and games accessible to children such as TikTok, Snapchat, and Roblox.

Grooming through social media, messaging apps, and online games is a serious threat. Government is unequivocal in its commitment to protecting children from these crimes and we are determined to ensure that offenders cannot use these platforms to target children with impunity.The Online Safety Act introduces world‑leading protections for children by placing robust duties on tech to mitigate risks to children. Crucially, the Act requires companies whose services pose heightened risks to children’s safety companies, such as those with chat functions, friend‑finding features and livestreaming tools, to implement stronger and more proactive safeguards, including effective moderation, robust age assurance and safer design. Ofcom, as the regulator, will have strong enforcement powers to ensure compliance.Alongside platform regulation, the Government is taking decisive action to prevent harm before it occurs. In line with new commitments in the Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, we are clear that children must be protected from being coerced into sharing nude images and from being drawn into cycles of sextortion, grooming and abuse. That is why we have set out an ambitious goal to make it impossible for children in the UK to take, share or view a nude image, and we are working proactively with industry to make this a reality. This complements wider work to ensure that children’s access to smartphones and digital services is safe, appropriate and protective of their wellbeing.The Government continues to work closely with law enforcement, industry, and child protection experts to ensure that the UK remains at the forefront of efforts to tackle online child sexual abuse.

Pursuant to the Answer of 22 December 2025 to Question 99417 on Undocumented Migrants, what steps she is taking to strengthen (a) statutory and (b) operational powers to (i) relocate and (ii) detain illegal migrants.

In our Restoring Order and Control statement, we set out a series of measures designed to increase the rate of removal of illegal migrants from the UK, focusing on five areas. First, scaling up removals of those whose claims have failed. Second, imposing sanctions on countries that refuse to take their citizens back. Third, reforming our appeals system. Fourth, pursuing legal reform, both nationally and internationally. Finally, tackling other barriers that are used today to block removals.Immigration detention plays a key role in maintaining effective immigration controls and securing the UK’s borders. We have made significant reforms to detention over the past few years in line with external reports and recommendations including strengthening our powers to detain individuals who arrive unlawfully through the Border, Security and Asylum Act 2025, enabling detention from the point an individual is notified they are liable for removal. We also expanded the detention estate with the opening of IRC Campsfield in December 2025.

Pursuant to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office's press release published on 12 January 2026 entitled UK and Ecuador join forces to tackle cocaine trade at source, what estimate has she made of the cost to UK police forces and other law enforcement organisations of providing training to Ecuador to prevent the export of drugs.

The Government is concerned by the impact that drug trafficking from South America, particularly cocaine trafficking, is having in the UK and its Overseas Territories. Tackling the supply of drugs remains a priority for this Government and will play a critical role in making our streets safer, including delivering our mission to halve knife crime over the next decade.Ecuador is a key smuggling route for cocaine ending up on UK streets, making joint action essential as part of the UK’s end-to-end approach, including working with law enforcement partners internationally, and at the UK border to tackle the gangs responsible for drug trafficking. Home Office International Operations and UK law enforcement are stationed in Ecuador with officers providing training, equipment and support to enhance the capabilities of Ecuadorian law enforcement – better preventing cocaine from reaching British borders.In 2024, in Ecuador alone, Home Office International supported the seizure of nearly 95 out of the 300 tonnes seized by police. In May 2025, the UK and Ecuador signed a memorandum of understanding, cementing both countries’ commitment to dismantling and disrupting violent criminal networks, which threaten the safety of communities in Britain and South America alike.Funding for UK law enforcement activity and support in Ecuador is provided via the Integrated Security Fund, Home Office Drug Strategy funding and law enforcement agency budgets.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee on police response times to time-sensitive incidents in rural villages, such as a) Bulphan, b) Orsett and c) Horndon-on-the-Hill in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.

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 rural areas.Forces now have named, contactable officers dedicated to tackling issues in their communities. Forces are also providing a guarantee of 72-hour response times to neighbourhood queries from communities.All reports into the police, either via telephone or online, are triaged by the local force control room and response type and timeliness will be determined by the nature of the report and availability of resources. The Home Office does not hold data on response times to time-sensitive incidents in rural villages, however, should an incident be time critical and requiring rapid response, the public are advised to call 999.Based on their £4,495,599 allocation from the Neighbourhood Policing Grant, Essex are projected to grow by 74 FTE NHP police officers in 2025-26.

Pursuant to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office's press release published on 12 January 2026 entitled UK and Ecuador join forces to tackle cocaine trade at source, what recent assessment has she made of the potential impact of bilateral cooperation with Ecuador to reduce the export of drugs to the UK on the level of criminal activity in the UK.

The Government is concerned by the impact that drug trafficking from South America, particularly cocaine trafficking, is having in the UK and its Overseas Territories. Tackling the supply of drugs remains a priority for this Government and will play a critical role in making our streets safer, including delivering our mission to halve knife crime over the next decade.Ecuador is a key smuggling route for cocaine ending up on UK streets, making joint action essential as part of the UK’s end-to-end approach, including working with law enforcement partners internationally, and at the UK border to tackle the gangs responsible for drug trafficking. Home Office International Operations and UK law enforcement are stationed in Ecuador with officers providing training, equipment and support to enhance the capabilities of Ecuadorian law enforcement – better preventing cocaine from reaching British borders.In 2024, in Ecuador alone, Home Office International supported the seizure of nearly 95 out of the 300 tonnes seized by police. In May 2025, the UK and Ecuador signed a memorandum of understanding, cementing both countries’ commitment to dismantling and disrupting violent criminal networks, which threaten the safety of communities in Britain and South America alike.Funding for UK law enforcement activity and support in Ecuador is provided via the Integrated Security Fund, Home Office Drug Strategy funding and law enforcement agency budgets.

Published on 12 January 2026, entitled UK and Ecuador join forces to tackle cocaine trade at source, what equipment has been provided by the UK to Ecuador to assist with the prevention of drug exports.

Home Office International Operations and UK law enforcement are stationed in Ecuador with officers providing training, equipment and support to enhance the capabilities of Ecuadorian law enforcement – better preventing cocaine from reaching British borders.Funding for UK law enforcement activity and support in Ecuador is provided via the Integrated Security Fund, Home Office budgetary allocations and law enforcement agency budgets.The Home Office does not comment on overseas operational deployments for security reasons.

With reference to the press release, published on 12 January 2026, entitled UK and Ecuador join forces to tackle cocaine trade at source, how many UK police officers supported the training of Ecuadorian police in 2025.

Home Office International Operations and UK law enforcement are stationed in Ecuador with officers providing training, equipment and support to enhance the capabilities of Ecuadorian law enforcement – better preventing cocaine from reaching British borders.Funding for UK law enforcement activity and support in Ecuador is provided via the Integrated Security Fund, Home Office budgetary allocations and law enforcement agency budgets.The Home Office does not comment on overseas operational deployments for security reasons.