Written questions by Lowe.

Whether her Department will extend English language testing requirements to foreign nationals working in (a) private security or (b) enforcement roles contracted by the Department.

The Private Security Industry Act (PSIA) 2001 created the Security Industry Authority (SIA) as the regulator of the private security industry.The SIA sets minimum training standards and issues licenses to applicants who have acquired the correct licence-linked qualifications. Before a learner can take a licence-linked qualification, they must prove they have English language skills to B2 standard on the Home Office list of recommended qualifications. This standard means that the learner has a degree of fluency in English. The SIA reviews training standards every five years to ensure that individuals seeking to work in regulated roles meet refreshed minimum standards, and that skills keep pace with emerging threats to public safety.Where overseas nationals fill enforcement roles contracted by the Home Office, they require an immigration permission to do so, and they may be subject to English language requirements mandated by the Immigration Rules. For the Skilled Worker immigration route, the required level of English is being increased from B1 to B2 level (effective from 8 January 2026).

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that immigration (a) caseworkers and (b) interpreters meet English language standards.

The Home Office recruit using standard Civil Service recruitment processes and all our immigration caseworkers must meet minimum Civil Service recruitment standards. The appropriate level of English is assured through the comprehensive recruitment and onboarding process. Interpreters are not Home Office employees and undertake freelance work commissioned by the Home Office through contracts for services. Standards required to apply for an interpreter role are set out in our published ‘Guidance for UKVI freelance interpreters’. This includes a list of accredited qualifications. Quality is maintained through our comprehensive review strategy. Interviewing officers are issued with Interpreter Management Team monitoring forms, which they are asked to complete if they have any comments on the interpreter used in an assignment (because the interpreter performed particularly well or badly, for example). Interviews may also be monitored for training and security purposes. Applications for immigration caseworker roles and interpreter roles include a written application and, if appropriate, an interview. The written application and interview are conducted and assessed in English.

If she will make English language proficiency a mandatory condition for (a) police recruits, (b) community support officers and (c) detention custody staff.

This Government is committed to ensuring consistent, high standards for entry into the police, including for police staff. As set out in Regulations, police officers must demonstrate competence in written and spoken English.We are working closely with the College of Policing to ensure that forces continue to make improvements to all entry routes. As part of this work, the College of Policing is currently consulting police leaders to assess and determine the appropriate English language standard required for all policing roles.

What information her Department holds on the (a) financial arrangements, (b) lease durations and (c) landlord incentives offered by (i) Serco and (ii) other contractors under the Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts since 2020; and whether her Department has undertaken any risk assessments of the use of private rented accommodation for asylum seekers.

Since 2022, the Home Office has implemented a Full Dispersal model, which aims to distribute asylum accommodation more fairly and equitably across the UK. The Home Office, via our accommodation providers, has worked within the Private Rented Sector for many years to source accommodation that offers better value for money for the taxpayer. Accommodation providers are responsible for sourcing and securing suitable properties, as well as consulting with local authorities on every dispersed bedspace before it is procured to ensure the impacts on local areas are considered. The details of the contracts are commercially sensitive.

If she will hold discussions with her French counterpart on (a) distributing leaflets and (b) creating information campaigns for potential irregular migrants to the UK on the consequences of illegal migration to the UK.

The Home Secretary regularly meets with her French counterparts to discuss our joint efforts to prevent dangerous small boat crossings. She remains committed to our joint mission and will continue this close working with the new Minister of Interior, Laurent Nuñez, who was appointed on 12 October.The UK and French Governments have been running joint information campaigns in France since August about the consequences of illegal migration to the UK, including distributing leaflets to potential irregular migrants.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing (a) a national online reporting portal for members of the public to submit intelligence on suspected irregular migrants and (b) an associated reward system.

The Home Office has several routes for members of the public to use when reporting information regarding immigration related crime and/or abuse. These routes include digital, telephone and paper options to ensure that reporting routes are easily accessible to everyone. Over the past three years we have seen an increase in information received from members of the public – we publish this information on a quarterly basis and it can be found here Migration transparency data - GOV.UK

If she will bring forward legislative proposals to require proof of legal immigration status when registering with a GP or dentist.

In-country controls, introduced over many decades, regulate a migrant's access to public services and deny access to those in the UK with no lawful status. These policies and checks form part of the UK's domestic compliance and enforcement arrangements, aimed at deterring illegal migration, promoting compliance with immigration laws and supporting enforcement whilst protecting vulnerable migrants from exploitation.Only those ordinarily resident in the UK are eligible for free healthcare. Non-urgent secondary healthcare, unless it has been paid for, is denied to all migrants who are not ordinarily resident or who have not paid the Immigration Health Surcharge. Migrants without lawful status can be charged for treatment. The relevant legislation in England is the NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 2015.Immigration status data is already shared with the NHS in England and Wales via the Home Office Right to Healthcare Application Programming Interface (API) to enable the determination of who is eligible for free NHS treatment and who is chargeable for treatment.In some areas where access to services is regulated, the measures require a third party to take action such as checking an individual's eligibility to access work or rent a property. Sanctions exist where these requirements are not complied with.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of using data-sharing agreements between (a) the NHS, (b) HMRC and (c) Immigration Enforcement to help identify people living in the UK illegally.

Data sharing agreements are already in place between Immigration Enforcement and HMRC to increase immigration compliance, including the identification of illegal working. Migrants in the UK without lawful immigration status, are subject to NHS charges for secondary healthcare, with data sharing agreements in place to support the NHS in tackling NHS debtors.All data sharing arrangements are subject to ongoing review.

Whether she has considered publishing annual performance metrics for local Immigration Compliance and Enforcement teams in the public domain.

Since this government came into office we have delivered results: we promised to deliver the highest rate of returns since 2018 and that has been achieved. We will continue to maximise the return of people, at the earliest opportunity, with no right to be in the UK. Those who undermine our border security and risk lives in an attempt to reach the UK should expect to face removal.The performance metrics for individual ICE teams will not be published. To do so could provide insight into operational practices that could then be used to avoid enforcement action. Further, the publication of any metrics would fail to account for the fast moving nature of the work.

If she will hold discussions with the Secretary of State for Justice on the potential merits of increasing the range of (a) financial penalties and (b) custodial sentences available to courts for (i) landlords who repeatedly house and (ii) employers who repeatedly employ irregular migrants.

In some areas where access to work, services or benefits is regulated, the measures require a third party to take action such as checking an individual’s eligibility to access work or rent a property. Sanctions exist where these requirements are not complied with.In 2024 the Right to Rent Order amended the Immigration Act 2014 (the 2014 Act) to increase the maximum penalty that may be imposed on a landlord or agent who contravenes section 22 of that Act. The civil penalty was raised to £5,000 per lodger and £10,000 per occupier for a first breach, with repeat breaches set at £10,000 per lodger and £20,000 per occupier up from £500 and £3,000 respectively. There is no upper limit to the penalty amount, it is calculated on a per-person basis.The Immigration Act 2016 introduced the criminal offence of leasing a property whilst knowing or having ‘reasonable cause to believe’ the tenant does not have the right to rent’, which supplements the 2014 Act and is aimed at targeting criminally intent landlords who continue to flout the rules.In tandem, changes also came into force to reflect that the civil penalty for employers, was increased to £45,000 per illegal worker for a first breach from £15,000, and up to £60,000 for repeat breaches, from the previous level of £20,000. There is no upper limit to what an employer could be penalised, penalties are imposed on a per-person basis. In criminal cases, a conviction for illegal employing a person carries a sentence of up to 5 years and/or an unlimited fine, for the most serious cases, those exploiting migrants could face criminal conviction for facilitation or trafficking offences and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.The Government is leading a UK-wide crackdown on illegal working as part of a whole system approach to tackle illegal migration and to ensure fairness, order and control within the immigration and asylum system. This includes measures in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill to clamp down on illegal working, Home Office Immigration Enforcement teams intensifying operational activity across the UK as well as the recently announced introduction of digital ID by the end of this Parliament.

If she will bring forward legislative proposals to allow Immigration Enforcement to issue immediate civil fines for non-compliance with Right to Work or Right to Rent requirements.

In some areas where access to work, services or benefits is regulated, the measures require a third party to take action such as checking an individual’s eligibility to access work or rent a property. Sanctions exist where these requirements are not complied with.In 2024 the Right to Rent Order amended the Immigration Act 2014 (the 2014 Act) to increase the maximum penalty that may be imposed on a landlord or agent who contravenes section 22 of that Act. The civil penalty was raised to £5,000 per lodger and £10,000 per occupier for a first breach, with repeat breaches set at £10,000 per lodger and £20,000 per occupier up from £500 and £3,000 respectively. There is no upper limit to the penalty amount, it is calculated on a per-person basis.The Immigration Act 2016 introduced the criminal offence of leasing a property whilst knowing or having ‘reasonable cause to believe’ the tenant does not have the right to rent’, which supplements the 2014 Act and is aimed at targeting criminally intent landlords who continue to flout the rules.In tandem, changes also came into force to reflect that the civil penalty for employers, was increased to £45,000 per illegal worker for a first breach from £15,000, and up to £60,000 for repeat breaches, from the previous level of £20,000. There is no upper limit to what an employer could be penalised, penalties are imposed on a per-person basis. In criminal cases, a conviction for illegal employing a person carries a sentence of up to 5 years and/or an unlimited fine, for the most serious cases, those exploiting migrants could face criminal conviction for facilitation or trafficking offences and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.The Government is leading a UK-wide crackdown on illegal working as part of a whole system approach to tackle illegal migration and to ensure fairness, order and control within the immigration and asylum system. This includes measures in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill to clamp down on illegal working, Home Office Immigration Enforcement teams intensifying operational activity across the UK as well as the recently announced introduction of digital ID by the end of this Parliament.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of reintroducing a hostile environment policy for people without a legal immigration status in relation to access to public services.

In-country controls, introduced over many decades, regulate a migrant's access to public services and deny access to those in the UK with no lawful status. These policies and checks form part of the UK's domestic compliance and enforcement arrangements, aimed at deterring illegal migration, promoting compliance with immigration laws and supporting enforcement whilst protecting vulnerable migrants from exploitation.Only those ordinarily resident in the UK are eligible for free healthcare. Non-urgent secondary healthcare, unless it has been paid for, is denied to all migrants who are not ordinarily resident or who have not paid the Immigration Health Surcharge. Migrants without lawful status can be charged for treatment. The relevant legislation in England is the NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 2015.Immigration status data is already shared with the NHS in England and Wales via the Home Office Right to Healthcare Application Programming Interface (API) to enable the determination of who is eligible for free NHS treatment and who is chargeable for treatment.In some areas where access to services is regulated, the measures require a third party to take action such as checking an individual's eligibility to access work or rent a property. Sanctions exist where these requirements are not complied with.

What discussions she has had with the Ministry of Defence on the use of surplus military infrastructure for temporary detention and processing.

As part of our commitment to close all asylum hotels, we are looking at a range of more appropriate sites including disused accommodation, industrial and ex-military sites so we can reduce the impact on communities.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) undertaking an urgent review of all asylum claims approved in the last ten years and (b) removing protection status for all people who entered the UK illegally.

We are committed to our international obligations under the Refugee Convention when someone claims asylum in the UK, which provide that we must not penalise an individual on account of their illegal entry or presence, if they come directly from a territory where their life or freedom was threatened, present themselves without delay to authorities and show good cause for their illegal entry or presence.The Convention establishes the principle of ‘non-refoulement’, which means that refugees must not be removed to a place where “their life or freedom would be threatened on account of their race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion”.Any application for further leave to remain in the UK at the end of a grant of asylum leave is considered on its merits. A review of all asylum grants over the past decade would be disproportionate.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing detention capacity to a level that would facilitate the deportation of between 100,000 and 150,000 people per year.

The Home Office (specifically Immigration Enforcement), is currently expanding detention capacity through an active programme that will deliver an additional 1,000 beds over the coming years at Campsfield (Oxfordshire) and Haslar (Hampshire). This expansion will significantly increase the number of enforced returns once operational.Decisions on the required estate size will be based on several factors, including:The number of individuals eligible for removal;Opportunities to increase throughput within the current system through casework transformation;The need to deliver additional capacity in the most cost-effective way.

How many people evacuated from Gaza under the medical treatment scheme have since applied for or been granted (a) asylum, (b) humanitarian protection and (c) leave to remain in the United Kingdom.

The children medically evacuated to the UK, alongside their immediate family members, have been issued with visas and granted leave to remain for up to two years. These families have the ability to access public funds, including treatment and wraparound support in the UK.Should these individuals wish to remain in the UK beyond the initial two years, they can apply for further permission to stay under existing routes within the Immigration Rules.

What monitoring and reporting arrangements are in place to track the immigration and residency status of those admitted under the Gaza injured children scheme after their treatment concludes.

The children medically evacuated to the UK, alongside their immediate family members, have been issued with visas and granted leave to remain for up to two years. These families have the ability to access public funds, including treatment and wraparound support in the UK.Should these individuals wish to remain in the UK beyond the initial two years, they can apply for further permission to stay under existing routes within the Immigration Rules.

What the budget allocation is for the National Inquiry into Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in financial year 2025-26; and how much funding has been committed to date for (a) staffing, (b) legal support and (c) survivor engagement.

I refer the hon. Member to my response to the Urgent Question of 21 October.

What the first local areas to be examined by the National Inquiry into Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse are; and what criteria was used to select them.

I refer the hon. Member to my response to the Urgent Question of 21 October.

Whether the National Inquiry into Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse will have powers under the Inquiries Act 2005 to compel evidence from serving and former (a) police officers, (b) council staff and (c) elected officials; and whether those powers have been formally granted.

I refer the hon. Member to my response to the Urgent Question of 21 October.