Written questions by Hayes.

How many people have been (a) arrested and (b) prosecuted for riding e-scooters on (i) public roads and (i) pavements in each of the last three years.

The data requested is not held centrally.

How many hotels her Department has purchased for the temporary accommodation of asylum seekers since January 2025.

None.

What steps she is taking to help disrupt county lines operations in Lincolnshire.

To deliver our pledge to halve knife crime in the next decade, it is crucial that we tackle the drug gangs that run county lines through violence and exploitation. That is why we are investing £42m this financial year (25/26) in the County Lines Programme, to target exploitative drug dealing gangs whilst breaking the organised crime groups behind this trade.Between July 2024 and March 2025, law enforcement activity through the County Lines Programme taskforces has resulted in more than 1,200 deal lines closed, 2,000 arrests (including the arrest and subsequent charge of over 800 deal line holders) and 2,100 safeguarding referrals of children and vulnerable people. Over 320 children and young people also received dedicated specialist support through the County Lines Programme support service in that time.While the the majority of lines originate from the areas covered by the Metropolitan Police Service, West Midlands Police, Merseyside Police, and Greater Manchester Police, county lines is a national issue which affects all forces. That is why, through the Home Office-funded County Lines Programme, we fund the National County Lines Co-ordination Centre to monitor the intelligence picture and co-ordinate the national law enforcement response. The County Lines Programme taskforces regularly conduct joint operations with other forces, and we have established a dedicated fund which provides local forces with additional funding to tackle county lines, including Lincolnshire Police.The National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC) also regularly coordinates weeks of intensive action against county lines gangs, which all police forces take part in. The most recent of these took place 25 November to 1 December 2024. During this period, law enforcement activity delivered by Lincolnshire Police resulted in 18 individual arrests, and £10,000 in cash and £33,000 worth of drugs being seized.As committed to in the Government’s manifesto, we have introduced a new offence of child criminal exploitation in the Crime and Policing Bill to go after the gangs who are luring children into violent crime. We are also introducing a new criminal offence of ‘coerced internal concealment’ as an amendment to the Bill, which will crack down on the dangerous practice of anyone, including gang leaders, who forces people to hide items inside their bodies to avoid detection often as part of horrendous and exploitative drugs trade.

If she will make it her policy to confiscate the assets of people found to be working illegally.

We work to prevent individuals from making financial gains as a result of their criminal activities and will seek to seize such assets where possible; to this end, section 24 of the UK Borders Act 2007 (which came into force on 1 July 2010) gives immigration officers the specific power to seize cash from offenders, bringing them into line with police officers in this respect.

How much funding has been allocated to community safety initiatives in Lincolnshire in the last three years.

As the locally elected representative for policing in their area, it is for Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) to decide on the allocation of funding to community safety initiatives, based on the priorities set out in their Police and Crime Plans.Lincolnshire Police will receive up to £174.5 million in 2025-26, an increase of up to £10.3 million when compared to the 2024-25 funding settlement. This equates to a 6.2% cash increase and 3.8% real terms increase in funding.

How many deportation orders have been issued to illegal immigrants residing in Lincolnshire in each of the last three years.

The requested information is not available from published statistics and could only be collated for the purposes of answering this question at disproportionate cost. This Government pledged to deliver the highest rate of removals since 2018 and this target has been surpassed, with a surge in returns activity since the election leading to almost 30,000 people with no right to be in the UK being removed. Of the total returns since 5 July 2024, 4,436 were of foreign national offenders (FNOs). This is an increase of 14% compared to the 3,879 FNO returns in the same period 12 months prior. Work is currently underway to publish more detailed information on FNOs subject to deportation. Further information on this work can be found at: Statistics on foreign national offenders and the immigration system - GOV.UK.

Whether she plans to continue the Talent Catalogue beyond the Displaced Talent Mobility Pilot.

The Home Office’s Displaced Talent Mobility Pilot ended on 1 November 2024. The Talent Catalogue used during the pilot was wholly owned and operated by Talent Beyond Boundaries, the non-profit organisation who were the delivery partner for the pilot.

If she will make it her policy that the people manning the engines of asylum boats are refused asylum.

Under existing legislation, an individual convicted of a particularly serious crime, resulting in a custodial sentence of 12 months or more, and who is considered a danger to the UK, will be denied asylum and will be considered for removal from the UK.With the passage of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022, the maximum sentence for facilitating a breach of immigration law, or “facilitation”, was raised to life in prison. Small boats pilots fall into this category of offender so aggravated cases, where there is an elevated level of harm and / or culpability identified, will likely receive a sentence in excess of 12 months. In cases where there is insufficient evidence to secure a facilitation charge, it is highly likely that a prosecution for illegal arrival will be sought. Similarly, in higher-end cases, the sentence for this will also likely be over 12 months on conviction.

How many asylum seekers are being housed in houses of multiple occupation in Lincolnshire.

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.

How many higher education students have claimed asylum in the final six months of their course in each of the last five years.

Available data on the ‘Source of asylum claims in 2024’ was published by the Home Office on 30th March 2025.

How many cars have been seized for illegal tinted windows in the last ten years.

The requested data is not centrally held, and could only be collated and verified at disproportionate cost.

What budget will be available to the Windrush Commissioner.

The budget allocation for the Windrush Commissioner will be formally agreed once the Commissioner has been appointed.

What steps she is taking to help protect farm businesses from fraud.

A total of 3,402 frauds were reported to Action Fraud in Lincolnshire in the year ending May 2025, totalling £16m in reported losses. 63% of these were cyber-enabled, meaning there were approx. 2,100 frauds reported in Lincolnshire with an online component in the year ending May 2025 (this includes both individuals and businesses). Public data for fraud reports at the regional level only covers the previous 13 months and a distinction cannot be made between fraud and scams.The Home Office is absolutely committed to tackling the threat of fraud, which is why this Government has committed to publishing a new and enhanced Fraud Strategy that addresses the full range of harm that UK citizens face from fraud, including those that arise online. Development of the Strategy has begun and details will be set out in due course.

How many cases of online (a) fraud and (b) scams were reported in Lincolnshire in each of the last three years.

A total of 3,402 frauds were reported to Action Fraud in Lincolnshire in the year ending May 2025, totalling £16m in reported losses. 63% of these were cyber-enabled, meaning there were approx. 2,100 frauds reported in Lincolnshire with an online component in the year ending May 2025 (this includes both individuals and businesses). Public data for fraud reports at the regional level only covers the previous 13 months and a distinction cannot be made between fraud and scams.The Home Office is absolutely committed to tackling the threat of fraud, which is why this Government has committed to publishing a new and enhanced Fraud Strategy that addresses the full range of harm that UK citizens face from fraud, including those that arise online. Development of the Strategy has begun and details will be set out in due course.

How many people have been arrested for offences related to wildlife and timber trafficking as part of Operation Thunder in each of the last five years.

The primary objective of Operation Thunder is to increase seizures of items being illicitly trafficked, and use those seizures as the basis to initiate investigations into the organised groups around the world responsible for that trafficking. As a result, while no arrests have been recorded during the four-week period when Operation Thunder is active, that is not reflective of the full impact of subsequent investigations.Border Force and the NCA have made zero arrests related to wildlife crime in the last five years during the four weeks per annum that Operation Thunder is active. However, investigations can often be complex, with criminality occurring across international jurisdictions, so the arrest phase can occur post-seizure of any illicit items seized rather than be contained to the four weeks of the exercise.

How many (a) dinghies and (b) kayaks used to smuggle people across the English Channel have been seized by Border Force in each of the last five years.

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.

How many fishing vessels used to smuggle people across the English Channel have been seized by Border Force in each of the last five years.

Border Force seized two fishing vessels in 2024 used to smuggle people across the English Channel.Across years 2022, 2023 and the year to date in 2025, Border Force has seized zero fishing vessels used to smuggle people across the English Channel.Data on this topic for years prior to 2022 is not available in an accessible format.

What estimate her Department has made of the number of asylum seekers that will be dispersed in (a) South Holland District Council and (b) South Kesteven District Council in the next 12 months.

Data, published quarterly, on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation, including accommodation type, can be found within the Asy_D11 tab of our most recent statistics release. The data can also be broken down by local authority. Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK (opens in a new tab).

If she will make it her policy to open a return hub in Kosovo.

We do not provide a running commentary on discussions with our overseas partners.

What steps has she taken with the relevant authorities to reduce car and other road vehicle theft in Lincolnshire.

This Government is determined to drive down vehicle crime and we are working with the automotive industry and police, including working closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead on the issue, to ensure the strongest response possible. I have recently met the NPCC vehicle crime lead, ACC Jenny Sims, as well as other law enforcement representatives and representatives from industry, to discuss how we work together to tackle these damaging crimes.Working with the recently established National Vehicle Crime Reduction Partnership and the police-led National Vehicle Crime Working Group, we are focusing on prevention and deterrence of theft of and from vehicles. This includes training police officers on the methods used to steal vehicles, encouraging vehicle owners to secure their vehicles, and working with industry to address vulnerabilities in vehicles.We are adding to the armoury the police have to drive down vehicle theft. In the Crime and Policing Bill we have banned electronic devices used to steal vehicles, empowering the police and courts to target the criminals using, manufacturing and supplying them. This will support the changes manufacturers continue to make to make their vehicles as secure as possible.In addition, we provided £250,000 funding in the financial year 2024-25 to help support work at the ports to prevent stolen vehicles and vehicle parts being shipped abroad, including providing additional staff and specialist equipment.