Written questions by Lowe.

Whether (a) officials and (b) social workers who (i) raised concerns, (ii) resigned and (iii) whistle-blew will be (A) protected and (B) encouraged to testify to the hon. Member for Great Yarmouth's private inquiry into grooming gangs.

Our focus is to deliver meaningful change for victims and survivors of all forms of child sexual abuse and exploitation, including grooming gangs. That means protecting more children, getting justice for victims, rooting out grooming gangs across the country, toughening up police action, and better understanding the current scale of offending.Today (08 April 2025) the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, Jess Phillips, MP made a statement to Parliament setting out a detailed update on Government action to tackle child sexual abuse and exploitation, as well as a progress update on the recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse undertaken by Professor Alexis Jay.I refer the Hon Member to the answer he was given on 8 April to question 44194. We are already taking swift action to tackle grooming gangs, including through stronger national backing for local inquiries and Baroness Casey’s audit on existing evidence of grooming gangs; therefore, we do not believe a further national inquiry is necessary.However, we are supportive of independent local-led inquiries. Local authorities, which are responsible for delivering local services, are best placed to commission local inquiries. The best practice framework we are developing, along with the £5m fund for local authorities to undertake independent inquiries or related activity, will help deliver meaningful change for victims and survivors.We have also taken the decision to implement the fund in a flexible way, in order to support both local authorities who want to launch full independent local inquiries; and those who want to take on more bespoke work, including in areas where inquiries have already taken place, for example through the establishment of local victims’ panels or conducting locally-led audits into the handling of historic cases.Furthermore, the police are independent of Government, and it is the responsibility of forces to consider requests for disclosure of their records in accordance with respective records management policies; and it would be a matter for the National Police Chiefs’ Council to consider whether to appoint a liaison officer to this inquiry. Additionally, the Home Office does not collect data on police officers that were dismissed, transferred or reprimanded after raising grooming-related failures.

If she will instruct police forces to release redacted records to the hon. member for Great Yarmouth's inquiry upon request.

Our focus is to deliver meaningful change for victims and survivors of all forms of child sexual abuse and exploitation, including grooming gangs. That means protecting more children, getting justice for victims, rooting out grooming gangs across the country, toughening up police action, and better understanding the current scale of offending.Today (08 April 2025) the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, Jess Phillips, MP made a statement to Parliament setting out a detailed update on Government action to tackle child sexual abuse and exploitation, as well as a progress update on the recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse undertaken by Professor Alexis Jay.I refer the Hon Member to the answer he was given on 8 April to question 44194. We are already taking swift action to tackle grooming gangs, including through stronger national backing for local inquiries and Baroness Casey’s audit on existing evidence of grooming gangs; therefore, we do not believe a further national inquiry is necessary.However, we are supportive of independent local-led inquiries. Local authorities, which are responsible for delivering local services, are best placed to commission local inquiries. The best practice framework we are developing, along with the £5m fund for local authorities to undertake independent inquiries or related activity, will help deliver meaningful change for victims and survivors.We have also taken the decision to implement the fund in a flexible way, in order to support both local authorities who want to launch full independent local inquiries; and those who want to take on more bespoke work, including in areas where inquiries have already taken place, for example through the establishment of local victims’ panels or conducting locally-led audits into the handling of historic cases.Furthermore, the police are independent of Government, and it is the responsibility of forces to consider requests for disclosure of their records in accordance with respective records management policies; and it would be a matter for the National Police Chiefs’ Council to consider whether to appoint a liaison officer to this inquiry. Additionally, the Home Office does not collect data on police officers that were dismissed, transferred or reprimanded after raising grooming-related failures.

Whether Ministers will (a) give evidence to and (b) participate in the hon. Member for Great Yarmouth's private inquiry into grooming gangs.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer he was given on the 8 April 2025 to Question 44194.

If she will instruct relevant Departmental officials to engage with the hon. Member for Great Yarmouth's inquiry into grooming gangs.

I refer the Hon Member to the various statements to the House made on these issues by Home Office ministers in recent months. Most recently on 8 April.

If she will instruct relevant Departmental officials to engage with the hon. Member for Great Yarmouth's inquiry into grooming gangs.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer he was given on the 8 April 2025 to Question 44194.

If she will publish all (a) correspondence and (b) internal assessments on the decision not to proceed with a full public inquiry into grooming gangs.

I refer the Hon Member to the various statements to the House made on these issues by Home Office ministers in recent months. Most recently on 8 April.

If she will consider the findings of privately funded independent inquiries into (a) grooming gang activity and (b) associated institutional failures.

I refer the Hon Member to the various statements to the House made on these issues by Home Office ministers in recent months. Most recently on 8 April.

If her Department will provide a liaison contact to assist with the hon. Member for Great Yarmouth's inquiry into grooming gangs.

I refer the Hon Member to the various statements to the House made on these issues by Home Office ministers in recent months. Most recently on 8 April.

Whether her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing anonymised (a) data and (b) reports to support the hon. Member for Great Yarmouth's inquiry into grooming gangs.

I refer the Hon Member to the various statements to the House made on these issues by Home Office ministers in recent months. Most recently on 8 April.

If she will offer (a) safeguarding and (b) witness protection support to (i) victims and (ii) whistleblowers that give evidence to the hon. Member for Great Yarmouth's private inquiry into grooming gangs.

I refer the Hon Member to the various statements to the House made on these issues by Home Office ministers in recent months. Most recently on 8 April.

If she will instruct relevant Departmental officials to engage with the hon. Member for Great Yarmouth's inquiry into grooming gangs.

I refer the Hon Member to the various statements to the House made on these issues by Home Office ministers in recent months. Most recently on 8 April.

What (a) mental health and (b) trauma support services are available to survivors of grooming gangs who participate in non-statutory inquiries.

I refer the Hon Member to the various statements to the House made on these issues by Home Office ministers in recent months. Most recently on 8 April.

If she will meet with the hon. Member for Great Yarmouth to discuss his private inquiry into grooming gangs.

I refer the Hon Member to the various statements to the House made on these issues by Home Office ministers in recent months. Most recently on 8 April.

How many visas expired before the recipient left the country in each of the last ten years.

As set out in legislation, an individual is liable to removal from the UK if "the person requires leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom but does not have it". The Home Office has not historically recorded the means by which individual becomes liable to removal, and we could only collate and verify the requested information on visa overstayers for the purposes of answering this question at disproportionate cost.The Government has already begun to deliver a major surge in the removal of people with no right to be in the UK, with over 24,000 returns recorded between 5 July 2024 and 22 March 2025.Further data on returns activity is published quarterly and can be found on gov.uk at Immigration system statistics quarterly release - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab).

How many sandwiches have been delivered through her Department's contract entitled Catering - CIU, procurement reference CF-0360600D58000000L5A4EAK.

The contracts maintained are designed to provide basic nutrition to arriving individuals in need, including children. The amounts of food provided across the two sites will vary according to need.

How many sandwiches have been delivered through her Department's contract entitled Catering - KIU, procurement reference CF-0357300D58000000L5A4EAK.

The contracts maintained are designed to provide basic nutrition to arriving individuals in need, including children. The amounts of food provided across the two sites will vary according to need.

What recent estimate she has made of (a) the number of contracts and (b) the value of those contracts for providing English language courses for refugees over the last three years.

The Government routinely publishes the details and costs of its procurement contracts on the contract finder website.

With reference to her Department's contract entitled Refugee Employability Programme - Lot 2 (North East), procurement reference CF-0333500D58000000L5A4EAK, what the total number of service users is.

I refer the Honourable Member to my response to Question 30479 dated 21st February 2025.

With reference to her Department's contract entitled Refugee Employability Programme - Lot 7 (London), procurement reference CF-0334200D58000000L5A4EAK, what the total number of service users is.

I refer the Honourable Member to my response to Question 30479 dated 21st February 2025.

With reference to her Department's contract entitled Refugee Employability Programme, procurement reference CF-0276700D58000000L5A4EAK, what the total number of service users is.

I refer the Honourable Member to my response to Question 30479 dated 21st February 2025.