Written questions by McMurdock.

What steps her Department is taking to help tackle knife crime in Essex.

In the year ending March 2024, there were 1,539 offences involving knives or sharp instruments recorded by Essex Police, a fall of 8% compared with the year ending March 2023 (1,667). Across England and Wales (excluding Greater Manchester Police), the number of knife and sharp instrument offences rose by 4% across the same period (from 48,409 offences in year ending March 2023 to 50,510 offences in year ending March 2024).The Government is already taking action to get dangerous weapons off the street. We have banned Zombie style knives and zombie style machetes, and , the manufacture, supply, sale and possession of zombie-style knives and machetes became illegal on 24 September 2024. We will also be taking action to ban ninja swords in line with our manifesto commitment and a review of online sales of knives is currently being conducted by Commander Clayman of the Metropolitan Police at the request of the Home Secretary.We will also create a new Young Futures programme - intervening earlier to stop young people being drawn into crime. It is vital we have a system that can identify and support those young people who need it most and we will be introducing Prevention Partnerships and Young Futures Hubs to help deliver this.

What assessment her Department has made of recent trends in the level of knife crime in Essex.

In the year ending March 2024, there were 1,539 offences involving knives or sharp instruments recorded by Essex Police, a fall of 8% compared with the year ending March 2023 (1,667). Across England and Wales (excluding Greater Manchester Police), the number of knife and sharp instrument offences rose by 4% across the same period (from 48,409 offences in year ending March 2023 to 50,510 offences in year ending March 2024).The Government is already taking action to get dangerous weapons off the street. We have banned Zombie style knives and zombie style machetes, and , the manufacture, supply, sale and possession of zombie-style knives and machetes became illegal on 24 September 2024. We will also be taking action to ban ninja swords in line with our manifesto commitment and a review of online sales of knives is currently being conducted by Commander Clayman of the Metropolitan Police at the request of the Home Secretary.We will also create a new Young Futures programme - intervening earlier to stop young people being drawn into crime. It is vital we have a system that can identify and support those young people who need it most and we will be introducing Prevention Partnerships and Young Futures Hubs to help deliver this.

How many irregular migrants are housed in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.

The Home Office does not reserve beds for irregular migrants. In accordance with the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, the Home Office has a statutory obligation to provide destitute asylum seekers with accommodation and subsistence support whilst their application for asylum is being considered. The Government is determined to restore order to the asylum system so that it operates swiftly, firmly and fairly. This includes our accommodation sites, as the Home Office continues to identify a range of options to minimise the use of hotels and ensure better use of public money, whilst maintaining sufficient accommodation to meet demand. Data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation by local authority can be found within the Asy_D11 tab for our most recent statistics release. The data can also be broken down by local authority. Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab)

How many beds are reserved to house irregular migrants in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.

The Home Office does not reserve beds for irregular migrants. In accordance with the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, the Home Office has a statutory obligation to provide destitute asylum seekers with accommodation and subsistence support whilst their application for asylum is being considered. The Government is determined to restore order to the asylum system so that it operates swiftly, firmly and fairly. This includes our accommodation sites, as the Home Office continues to identify a range of options to minimise the use of hotels and ensure better use of public money, whilst maintaining sufficient accommodation to meet demand. Data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation by local authority can be found within the Asy_D11 tab for our most recent statistics release. The data can also be broken down by local authority. Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab)

What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of neighbourhood policing levels in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.

The Home Secretary has made a clear commitment to strengthen neighbourhood policing through the introduction of a Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, which will includes getting thousands more neighbourhood police personnel back to the beat, as part of the Government’s Safer Streets mission.

What steps she plans to take to tackle anti-social behaviour in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.

Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for this Government, and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission to take back our streets.We will put thousands of new neighbourhood police and community support officers back on the beat in local communities, and ensure that residents have a named officer they can turn to when things go wrong.We will crack down on those causing havoc on our high streets by introducing tougher powers via a Crime and Policing Bill, including new Respect Order to tackle repeat offending.