Written questions by Anderson.

If she will consider lowering the annual turnover criteria in the Modern Slavery Act 2015 for which companies have to produce an annual report on steps taken to prevent modern slavery in (a) operations and (b) supply chains.

The Home Office is currently undertaking a statutory Post-Implementation Review of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (Transparency in Supply Chains) Regulations to assess whether the £36 million total turnover threshold and the definition of total turnover are still appropriate. The conclusion of this review will be published in the Autumn.

What data her Department holds on the number of arson incidents (a) in Ashfield constituency and (b) nationwide in each of the last five years.

The Home Office collects and publishes information on the number of notifiable offences, including arson offences, recorded by the police in England and Wales, at the Police Force Area level and the Community Safety Partnership (CSP) Area level.This information is published on a quarterly basis, and can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tablesThe Home Office does not collect information at the Parliamentary Constituency level.

What steps she is taking to tackle mobile phone theft.

The Home Secretary has been clear that tackling mobile phone theft is a key priority. In February, the Home Secretary brought together police, the National Crime Agency, the Mayor of London, local government representatives, leading technology companies and others to drive greater collaboration in breaking the business model of mobile phone thieves. The Summit resulted in commitments from attendees to work in partnership, including to significantly boost the sharing of data and intelligence on mobile phone theft to build a comprehensive picture of the problem, better understand the role of organised crime networks and identify the most effective means of tackling these crimes.The Home Secretary will reconvene the group shortly to review progress made and determine next steps to ensure that the police, technology companies and the Government continues to work together to tackle this criminality.In addition, the Crime and Policing Bill includes a measure to give police the power to enter and search premises for stolen property that has been electronically geo-location tracked to those premises, where it is not reasonably practicable to obtain a warrant without seriously prejudicing the entry and search purpose. This power will support efforts to recover stolen phones before they can be resold.Through our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee we will also place thousands of additional police officers and police community support officers in neighbourhood policing roles to provide a more visible and effective service to the public, with each neighbourhood having a named, contactable officer dealing with local issues, including the theft of mobile phones.

For what reason her Department has created the new route to British citizenship for Irish citizens.

The route was created following a Private Members’ Bill introduced to the House of Commons by the Right Honourable Gavin Robinson MP on 6 December 2023. The new route reflects the unique historical and geographical position of Ireland, and existing Common Travel Area arrangements. The Act received Royal Assent on the 24 May 2024.Irish citizens already enjoy settlement rights upon entry to the UK under the provisions of the Common Travel Area.Irish nationals will not be subject to demonstrating Knowledge of Language and Life in the UK. Irish nationals also are already able to demonstrate the language requirement for naturalisation through being nationals of a majority English-speaking country. We recognise that the UK has a unique relationship with Ireland, and the close historical links, geographical proximity and shared experiences between the two countries mean that those in this group would already have a sufficient knowledge of language and life in the UK. The Home Office receives approximately 300-400 applications per year from Irish citizens on existing routes.

With reference to the press release entitled New easier British citizenship route for Irish citizens launched, published on 3 July 2025, what estimate she has made of the number of Irish citizens that will apply for British citizenship through this route.

The route was created following a Private Members’ Bill introduced to the House of Commons by the Right Honourable Gavin Robinson MP on 6 December 2023. The new route reflects the unique historical and geographical position of Ireland, and existing Common Travel Area arrangements. The Act received Royal Assent on the 24 May 2024.Irish citizens already enjoy settlement rights upon entry to the UK under the provisions of the Common Travel Area.Irish nationals will not be subject to demonstrating Knowledge of Language and Life in the UK. Irish nationals also are already able to demonstrate the language requirement for naturalisation through being nationals of a majority English-speaking country. We recognise that the UK has a unique relationship with Ireland, and the close historical links, geographical proximity and shared experiences between the two countries mean that those in this group would already have a sufficient knowledge of language and life in the UK. The Home Office receives approximately 300-400 applications per year from Irish citizens on existing routes.

What estimate she has made of the number of Irish citizens who will move to the UK as a result of the new route to British citizenship.

The route was created following a Private Members’ Bill introduced to the House of Commons by the Right Honourable Gavin Robinson MP on 6 December 2023. The new route reflects the unique historical and geographical position of Ireland, and existing Common Travel Area arrangements. The Act received Royal Assent on the 24 May 2024.Irish citizens already enjoy settlement rights upon entry to the UK under the provisions of the Common Travel Area.Irish nationals will not be subject to demonstrating Knowledge of Language and Life in the UK. Irish nationals also are already able to demonstrate the language requirement for naturalisation through being nationals of a majority English-speaking country. We recognise that the UK has a unique relationship with Ireland, and the close historical links, geographical proximity and shared experiences between the two countries mean that those in this group would already have a sufficient knowledge of language and life in the UK. The Home Office receives approximately 300-400 applications per year from Irish citizens on existing routes.

For what reason the new route to British citizenship for Irish citizens has removed the (a) English language knowledge and (b) Life in the UK test requirements.

The route was created following a Private Members’ Bill introduced to the House of Commons by the Right Honourable Gavin Robinson MP on 6 December 2023. The new route reflects the unique historical and geographical position of Ireland, and existing Common Travel Area arrangements. The Act received Royal Assent on the 24 May 2024.Irish citizens already enjoy settlement rights upon entry to the UK under the provisions of the Common Travel Area.Irish nationals will not be subject to demonstrating Knowledge of Language and Life in the UK. Irish nationals also are already able to demonstrate the language requirement for naturalisation through being nationals of a majority English-speaking country. We recognise that the UK has a unique relationship with Ireland, and the close historical links, geographical proximity and shared experiences between the two countries mean that those in this group would already have a sufficient knowledge of language and life in the UK. The Home Office receives approximately 300-400 applications per year from Irish citizens on existing routes.

What steps she is taking to ensure that French authorities uphold agreements on stopping asylum seekers attempting to cross the English Channel.

Our current cooperation with France on irregular and illegal migration is underpinned by the commitments made in the UK-France Joint Leaders' Declaration - GOV.UK. Any future agreements will be published in the normal way in due course.

What data her Department holds on the total value of stock lost through shoplifting in each of the last five years.

The Home Office has published data from the Commercial Victimisation Survey (CVS) which collects data from business premises in England and Wales about their experience of crime.The data includes an assessment, made by the business, of the level of the financial impact of crime they experienced in the previous year as a result of being the victim of crime. This includes incidents theft committed by customers. Separate estimates were published for the retail sector. Data is not collected on the exact value of any goods stolen by customers, or the impact of customer theft separate from other types of crime. The most recent data is from 2023, and can be found here: Crime against businesses statistics - GOV.UKThrough our Safer Streets Mission, we are committed to ensuring that people feel safe on our streets and in their communities. To help tackle retail crime, we will provide £5 million over the next three years to continue to fund Opal, the national policing intelligence unit for serious organised acquisitive crime.We will also invest £2 million over the next three years in the National Business Crime Centre which provides a resource for both police and businesses to learn, share and support each other to prevent and combat crime.Through our Crime and Policing Bill, this Government has introduced a standalone offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores. We will also end the effective immunity for shop theft of and below £200 sending a clear message that any level of shop theft is illegal and will be taken seriously.

If she will publish the list of geographical areas in which her Department will encourage private landlords to house asylum seekers..

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave him on 23 June to Question 60155.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of notifying residents when asylum seekers are housed in their vicinity.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 23 June to Question 59362.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of informing residents when convicted paedophiles move into local communities.

At present, registered sex offenders are managed under the multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA). Section 327A of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 places a duty on MAPPA Responsible Authorities – comprising the police, probation and prison services - in each local criminal justice area to consider disclosing information to members of the public about the previous convictions of any child sex offender managed by the Responsible Authority.Further, the police can and do disclose information regarding child sex offenders (whether MAPPA managed or not) to relevant persons when they believe a child is at risk, utilising their common law disclosure powers as formalised by the Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme, also known as ‘Sarah’s Law’.Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we will strengthen the Child Sexual Offender Disclosure scheme by placing it on a statutory footing. This means that chief officers will have a statutory duty to have due regard to the published police guidance.

What assessment she has made of the value for money of the Police and Crime Commissioner roles.

As the directly elected representative for policing in their area, Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) have an important local role acting as the voice of the public and victims in policing, holding Chief Constables to account and leading local partnerships to prevent crime and anti-social behaviour.In her Written Ministerial Statement of 19 November 2024 (HCWS232), the Home Secretary announced her intention to present a White Paper to Parliament this year on reforms to deliver more effective and efficient policing, to rebuild public confidence and to deliver the Government’s Safer Streets mission. We will consider the role of PCCs in local accountability and preventing crime as part of wider reforms to the policing system and we will set out our plans in due course.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of abolishing the roles of Police and Crime Commissioner.

As the directly elected representative for policing in their area, Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) have an important local role acting as the voice of the public and victims in policing, holding Chief Constables to account and leading local partnerships to prevent crime and anti-social behaviour.In her Written Ministerial Statement of 19 November 2024 (HCWS232), the Home Secretary announced her intention to present a White Paper to Parliament this year on reforms to deliver more effective and efficient policing, to rebuild public confidence and to deliver the Government’s Safer Streets mission. We will consider the role of PCCs in local accountability and preventing crime as part of wider reforms to the policing system and we will set out our plans in due course.

How many people who have had their asylum application rejected are still living in the UK.

The Home Office publishes data on asylum-related returns in Ret_04 and Ret_05 of the ‘Returns summary tables’. The latest data is up to March 2025.

Where she plans to relocate irregular migrants living in hotels to end the use of asylum hotels by 2029.

The Home Office continues to work with a range of stakeholders and consider a range of options to fulfil its statutory obligations, and deliver our commitment to reduce the overall cost of asylum accommodation, including ending the use of hotels by the end of this Parliament.

If she will increase the use of stop and search to tackle knife crime.

Stop and search remains a fundamental tool for tackling knife crime, exercised fairly and effectively. Police officers have the power to stop and search individuals or vehicles for offensive weapons, provided they have reasonable grounds to suspect they will find the item.In addition, where serious violence has occurred, or where intelligence suggests it may occur, a senior police officer may authorise police to stop and search any individual or vehicle for weapons, with or without reasonable suspicion. These authorisations are limited to a particular area for a specific period of time, usually no longer than 24 hours but may be extended to up to 48 hours in certain circumstances.The operational use of these powers is a matter for individual police forces, based on local intelligence and community needs. Police powers must always be exercised fairly and effectively.

What steps her Department is taking to reduce knife crime in Nottinghamshire.

Halving knife crime over the next decade is a key part of the Government’s Safer Streets Mission and we are determined to tackle the scourge of serious knife crime on our streets.To date, we have implemented a ban on zombie-style knives and zombie-style machetes and a ban on ninja swords will come into effect from 1 August 2025. We will also be running an extended surrender scheme in July to allow knives and offensive weapons to be handed in safely and securely. Limiting the availability and accessibility of knives and dangerous and illegal weapons is a central part of our work.To that end, we have also announced “Ronan’s Law”, following an independent review into online knife sales by Commander Stephen Clayman, the national policing lead on knife crime, which set out a range of measures including strengthening age verification and delivery checks and reporting bulk sales to the police. These changes are now included in the Crime and Policing Bill currently passing through Parliament.In the Crime and Policing Bill, we are also increasing the penalties for illegal sales of knives, creating a new offence of possessing a knife with the intention to commit unlawful violence and providing the police with a new power to seize knives when they believe they are likely to be used in connection with unlawful violence.In Nottinghamshire, the Government has allocated c.£1.5m for the Hotspot Action Fund in 2025-2026 to deliver high visibility patrolling and problem-oriented policing tactics in the areas with the highest densities of knife crime and Anti-Social Behaviour (‘hotspots’).Through our Young Futures Programme, the Government will introduce Prevention Partnerships across the country, including in Nottinghamshire, to intervene earlier and ensure that children and young people who are vulnerable to being drawn into crime are identified and offered support in a more systematic way.As we continue to design the Young Futures Programme, we want to ensure that it learns from and builds on the work of the Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) in this regard. In 2025/26 we are investing £47m via the Home Office in core grant funding to VRUs, including making over £1.1m available to the Nottinghamshire VRU this year.This funding will support the delivery of a range of early intervention and prevention programmes, such as youth workers in custody, school and community settings, sports programmes, mentoring, healthy relationships programmes, and intensive cognitive behavioural therapies for individuals involved in or at risk of serious violence, to divert young people away from crime.A further £14.3m in grant funding has been made available across all 43 local policing body areas to deliver the Serious Violence Duty with £139k available to Nottinghamshire.

Which areas in the UK are most prevalent for money laundering activity (a) Turkish barbers and (b) other organisations.

Regional Organised Crime Units and police forces across England and Wales have identified cash intensive business such as barbershops being exploited by criminals seeking to launder money. In March, the National Economic Crime Centre coordinated a three-week crackdown against barbershops and other cash intensive business involving 19 different police forces and Regional Organised Crime Units, as well as national agencies including HMRC, Trading Standards and Home Office Immigration Enforcement. In total, 380 premises were visited across the three-week operation, with officers securing freezing orders over bank accounts totalling more than £1m, executing 84 warrants and arrested 35 individuals. Officers also seized more than £40,000 in cash, 200,000 cigarettes, 7,000 packs of tobacco, over 8,000 illegal vapes and two vehicles.This is the first phase of targeted action against criminals and organised crime groups who use high-street businesses to launder criminal funds, and the NECC is committed to continue working with Policing and partners across the UK to reduce this threat.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of legalising recreational cannabis on (a) physical health, (b) mental health, (c) the NHS and (d) antisocial behaviour.

No.