Written questions by McMurdock.

Whether she has plans to have discussions with Apple on reintroducing its Advanced Data Protection encryption service for UK users.

I refer the Hon Member to my response to PQ 33378 answered on 3 March 2025.

Whether the Government plans to request access to encrypted user data on Android phones.

I refer the Hon Member to my response to PQ 33378 answered on 3 March 2025.

What plans she has to implement the proposed offence of assaulting a shopworker; and what the anticipated penalties are associated with this offence.

Through our Crime and Policing Bill, introduced on 25 February, this Government has brought forward a new offence of assaulting a retail worker, to protect hardworking and dedicated shop workers, including small and independent retailers. The offence carries a maximum penalty of six months imprisonment and/or unlimited fine, as well as a presumption on the courts to impose a Criminal Behaviour Order. This will prohibit the offender from doing anything described in the order, which might include a condition preventing specific acts which cause harassment, alarm or distress, or preventing an offender from visiting specific premises.As set out in the Autumn Budget 2024, we will provide £100,000 of additional funding next financial year for the National Police Chiefs' Council to give further training to police and retailers on prevention tactics. We will also invest £2 million over the next three years in the National Business Crime Centre (NBCC), which provides a resource for both police and businesses to learn, share and support each other to prevent and combat crime. This will build on funding provided this financial year to the Police Crime Prevention Initiatives, for development of training materials for both police and retailers to help combat retail crime and promote partnership working.We will continue to work closely with the police to consider further training opportunities, including through our Retail Crime Forum, and are delivering on our wider commitment to strengthen neighbourhood policing.

Whether she has had discussions with the (a) police and (b) security services on the removal of Apple's Advanced Data Protection.

I refer the Hon Member to my response to PQ 33378 answered on 3 March 2025.

Pursuant to the Answer of 14 February 2025 to Question 29394 on Mentally Disordered Offenders: Crimes of Violence, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of collecting data on the number and proportion of prisoners that had (a) paranoid schizophrenia and (b) other mental health illnesses when they convicted in each of the last five years.

Collecting mental health data at the point of conviction provides a limited snapshot in time. The diagnosis of physical and mental health conditions is a matter for medical professionals. NHS England, which is responsible for the commissioning and funding of healthcare services in all prisons in England, records at a national level how many prisoners have a diagnosis of severe and enduring mental health conditions. This does not detail when those diagnoses were made.The Offender Assessment System (OASys), the core risk assessment tool used by His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, already captures some psychological and emotional factors so practitioners can explore the impact of these on their offending behaviour, identify their need for specialist support or treatment and can refer or engage with relevant professionals to manage any risk of harm they may pose.It is not possible to link medical records with justice datasets due to practical and legal issues.

Whether hier Department made an assessment of the potential risk of (a) cyber threats and (b) malicious exploitation of Apple users prior to the removal of the security encryption feature for Apple cloud data in Britain.

I refer the Hon Member to my response to PQ 33378 answered on 3 March 2025.

What steps she is taking to support (a) small and (b) independent retailers in implementing measures to protect employees from (i) violence and (ii) abuse.

Through our Crime and Policing Bill, introduced on 25 February, this Government has brought forward a new offence of assaulting a retail worker, to protect hardworking and dedicated shop workers, including small and independent retailers. The offence carries a maximum penalty of six months imprisonment and/or unlimited fine, as well as a presumption on the courts to impose a Criminal Behaviour Order. This will prohibit the offender from doing anything described in the order, which might include a condition preventing specific acts which cause harassment, alarm or distress, or preventing an offender from visiting specific premises.As set out in the Autumn Budget 2024, we will provide £100,000 of additional funding next financial year for the National Police Chiefs' Council to give further training to police and retailers on prevention tactics. We will also invest £2 million over the next three years in the National Business Crime Centre (NBCC), which provides a resource for both police and businesses to learn, share and support each other to prevent and combat crime. This will build on funding provided this financial year to the Police Crime Prevention Initiatives, for development of training materials for both police and retailers to help combat retail crime and promote partnership working.We will continue to work closely with the police to consider further training opportunities, including through our Retail Crime Forum, and are delivering on our wider commitment to strengthen neighbourhood policing.

What (a) authorisations and (b) warrants are required for Government access to data following Apple's removal of advance data protections.

I refer the Hon Member to my response to PQ 33378 answered on 3 March 2025.

Whether her Department has had discussions with technology companies other than Apple on the removal of advanced data protection systems.

I refer the Hon Member to my response to PQ 33378 answered on 3 March 2025.

What steps she is taking to ensure that the removal of Apple's encryption system for users in Britain will not lead to (a) abuse and (b) misuse by the (i) police and (ii) security services.

I refer the Hon Member to my response to PQ 33378 answered on 3 March 2025.

Innovation and Technology, if he will that ensure Ofcom prioritises user verification in its Illegal Content Codes of Practice.

Ofcom is the independent regulator for the Online Safety Act and it decides what measures go into its codes of practice. It issued its first codes of practice for the illegal content duties in December. These take effect on platforms in March. They will significantly improve online safety and incorporate measures in a wide range of areas, including user access. Ofcom will develop the codes iteratively and will launch a consultation in spring 2025 on further measures. In addition, Ofcom will issue its child safety codes of practice in the summer, and these will include age assurance measures.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) cyberbullying, (b) harassment by (i) fake and (ii) anonymous accounts and (c) other online harms on the economy.

In October 2024, DSIT published an assessment of the social impact of some quantified harms including cyberstalking, hate crime, fraud facilitated by user generated content, and cyberbullying, as part of the Online Safety Act enactment impact assessment - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/online-safety-act-enactment-impact-assessment#:~:text=The%20assessment%20estimates%20the%20Online,final%20stage%20Bill%20impact%20assessment.

What (a) training and (b) resources she is providing to law enforcement to ensure effective enforcement of the proposed offence of assaulting a shopworker.

Through our Crime and Policing Bill, introduced on 25 February, this Government has brought forward a new offence of assaulting a retail worker, to protect hardworking and dedicated shop workers, including small and independent retailers. The offence carries a maximum penalty of six months imprisonment and/or unlimited fine, as well as a presumption on the courts to impose a Criminal Behaviour Order. This will prohibit the offender from doing anything described in the order, which might include a condition preventing specific acts which cause harassment, alarm or distress, or preventing an offender from visiting specific premises.As set out in the Autumn Budget 2024, we will provide £100,000 of additional funding next financial year for the National Police Chiefs' Council to give further training to police and retailers on prevention tactics. We will also invest £2 million over the next three years in the National Business Crime Centre (NBCC), which provides a resource for both police and businesses to learn, share and support each other to prevent and combat crime. This will build on funding provided this financial year to the Police Crime Prevention Initiatives, for development of training materials for both police and retailers to help combat retail crime and promote partnership working.We will continue to work closely with the police to consider further training opportunities, including through our Retail Crime Forum, and are delivering on our wider commitment to strengthen neighbourhood policing.

Pursuant to the Answer of 24 February 2025 to Question 29388, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of her Department holding information centrally on local council spending on housing for asylum seekers.

The cost of housing for asylum seekers is borne by the Home Office and not local government.

Whether her Department had discussions with Apple prior to the Government's issuing of an order under the Investigatory Act 2016 asking for access to fully encrypted files from Apple users.

I refer the Hon Member to my response to PQ 33378 answered on 3 March 2025.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the decision by Apple to withdraw its advanced data protection system in the UK on the privacy of users.

I refer the Hon Member to my response to PQ 33378 answered on 3 March 2025.

What steps he is taking to reduce the number of ambulance handovers longer than 15 minutes in emergency departments.

The Government is committed to improving urgent and emergency care performance, including tackling ambulance handover delays and getting ambulance response times back to NHS Constitution standards.The NHS 2025/26 priorities and operational planning guidance included improving accident and emergency waiting times and ambulance response times as one of four national priorities to improve patient outcomes. The guidance set out the key actions to support reduced ambulance handover delays and improved ambulance response time performance.An urgent and emergency care improvement plan to further support improvements in services will be published shortly.

What steps he is taking to reduce overcrowding in A&E departments.

The Government recognises the pressures on the National Health Service during peak demand periods, including winter, and the impact this is having on accident and emergency waiting times.We are committed to supporting the NHS to improve accident and emergency performance and achieve the standards set out in the NHS Constitution. The NHS 2025/26 priorities and operational planning guidance sets national priorities, which include improving accident and emergency care so that a minimum of 78% of patients are seen within four hours as of March 2026, and a higher proportion of patients are admitted, discharged, and transferred from an emergency department within 12 hours across 2025/26 compared to 2024/25.

What steps he is taking to reduce the backlog of delayed discharges from hospitals.

The Government is working to reduce delayed discharges, ensuring that people are not stuck in hospital beds when they are well enough to go home. We will tackle delayed discharges by improving local partnership working between the National Health Service and the social care system, making sure that people get the right support to return home as soon as possible. To drive improvements, we will work with those systems experiencing the worst discharge delays, utilising senior experts from across local government and the NHS.On 30 January 2025, the Government published a revised Better Care Fund policy framework for 2025/26. The Better Care Fund helps local systems to plan joint health and social care, including support for those with complex discharge needs. The new framework is better aligned with the Government’s Health Mission and will take effect on 1 April 2025. As part of this, the NHS and local authorities will be expected to make measurable improvements on delayed discharges.

What assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of overcrowding in A&E departments.

The Government recognises the pressures on the National Health Service during peak demand periods, including winter, and the impact this is having on accident and emergency waiting times.We are committed to supporting the NHS to improve accident and emergency performance and achieve the standards set out in the NHS Constitution. The NHS 2025/26 priorities and operational planning guidance sets national priorities, which include improving accident and emergency care so that a minimum of 78% of patients are seen within four hours as of March 2026, and a higher proportion of patients are admitted, discharged, and transferred from an emergency department within 12 hours across 2025/26 compared to 2024/25.