Written questions by Lowe.

Pursuant to the Answer of 2 December to Question 15294 on Undocumented Migrants: Public Opinion, if she will publish all polling results the Department holds on public opinion regarding irregular migration.

A polling contract is currently in place with Savanta Group Limited. This two-year contract commenced in August 2023 and is available online on Contracts Finder. Spend on irregular migration polling cannot be provided. The department polls on a range of policy areas and spend on irregular migration cannot be disaggregated from total spend. We have no plans to publish all polling results on irregular migration. However, the department does regularly publish a range of statistics, research and evaluation on migration, which is available on gov.uk.

What biometric system failures there were at UK borders in 2023.

We are creating a streamlined, digital immigration system which will be quicker and more secure for the millions of people who pass through the border each year, and will enhance the security of the UK.There are a number of biometric systems that are deployed at the border, primarily to ensure security, but also to facilitate a smooth flow of passengers. Examples include facial recognition performed at eGates, as well as finger-print checking by Border Force officers where a passenger is processed manually.The majority of the checks are performed utilising the Immigration & Asylum Biometric System (IABS) and, during 2023, there were no critical incidents logged against that service.There were a number of lower priority incidents, all of which were resolved within required timescales and appropriate business contingency measures were put in place to ensure that border security was not compromised. The specific contingency measures vary according by biometric system but, for example, where a Biometric Recording (BRS) machine is being used and it has lost connectivity to IABS, the data captured will be stored locally until it is reconnected to IABS.

How many (a) churches (b) synagogues (c) mosques and (d) other places of worship were investigated for suspected ties to extremism in each of the last five years.

The Home Office does not conduct investigations into suspected ties to extremism for places of worship.It is for the police to conduct investigations if an alleged criminal offence is reported to them.

If the Minister of State for Border Security and Asylum will meet the hon. Member for Great Yarmouth to discuss data release policies.

Home Office statistics comply with the Code of Practice for Statistics (“the Code”). This means these statistics meet the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value as set out in ‘the Code’. Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) which sets the standards of the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to. Further information about official statistics can be found on the (OSR) website.

If she will conduct a review of the accuracy of the methodology used to collect immigration statistics.

Home Office statistics comply with the Code of Practice for Statistics (“the Code”). This means these statistics meet the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value as set out in ‘the Code’. Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) which sets the standards of the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to. Further information about official statistics can be found on the (OSR) website.

How individuals on the terror watchlist are monitored.

It is longstanding policy not to discuss either the specific information held on any security-related watchlist, the source of the information or how it is used.To do so would be harmful to the national security of the UK.

If she will list all contracted services undertaken by Serco related to irregular migrants.

Information about contracts worth over £12,000 (including VAT) agreed by the Government and its agencies is available at: Contracts Finder - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

If she will publish a breakdown of the conditions that need to be met for an person to be placed on the terror watchlist.

It is longstanding policy not to discuss either the specific information held on any security-related watchlist, the source of the information or how it is used.To do so would be harmful to the national security of the UK.

How many and what proportion of individuals on the terror watchlist are (a) UK citizens, (b) Dual national citizens, (c) UK citizens with at least one non-UK parent and (d) non-UK citizens.

It is longstanding policy not to discuss either the specific information held on any security-related watchlist, the source of the information or how it is used.To do so would be harmful to the national security of the UK.

If she will list all companies contracted by her Department to undertake work related to (a) irregular migration and (b) irregular migrants.

Information about contracts worth over £12,000 (including VAT) agreed by the Government and its agencies is available at: Contracts Finder - GOV.UK. Extracting the relevant information from this publicly available data source for the purposes of answering this question could only be done at disproportionate cost.

If he will provide a list of all contracted services from GTD Healthcare; and what the cost to the public purse of those services is.

Home Office does not hold any direct contracts with GTD Healthcare.

What the cost to the public purse was of the provision of taxis for irregular migrants in each year since 2018.

Transport services for asylum seekers are provided through our Asylum Accommodation & Support Contracts. We pay a fixed rate for transportation services which is set out in the contracts. Our suppliers must deliver transportation requirements in line with contractual standards and the fixed rate – with the type of transportation determined by our suppliers within this framework. Information on spend by specific transportation types is therefore not readily available.

How many international (a) air miles and (b) flights have been completed by (i) Ministers and (ii) officials in their Department since 5 July 2024.

Data on ministers’ overseas travel and on senior civil servants’ business expenses is published on a quarterly basis. The latest publications can be found here:Home Office: senior officials' business expenses, January 2024 to March 2024 - GOV.UKHome Office's ministerial travel, April to June 2024 - GOV.UK

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing an official and voluntary scheme for hon. Members to house (a) asylum seekers and (b) irregular migrants.

There are currently no such Government-backed voluntary schemes for housing asylum seekers for any households in the UK, regardless of whether that household contains an MP. It is up to MPs to decide who they might wish to live with - this is not a matter for the Government. This government inherited an asylum system under unprecedented strain, with tens of thousands stuck in a backlog without their claims processed. We are determined to restore order to the asylum system and cut the costs of asylum accommodation, including ending the use of hotels over time.

Pursuant to the Answer of 26 November to Question 14345 on Undocumented Migrants, if she will make it her policy to publish data on the number of asylum seekers for whom her Department does not have an address.

I refer the Honourable Member to the Answer I gave on 27 November to his Question UIN 15076.

What information her Department holds on asylum seekers visiting their country of origin whilst still resident in the UK.

Claimants whose asylum claim has not been decided are not permitted to leave the UK without permission, for example to visit their country of origin, until their claim has been concluded. If they do so, their claim may be withdrawn under the Immigration Rules.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 November 2024 to Question 11414 on Undocumented Migrants: Crimes of Violence, if she will make it her policy to publish data on (a) recorded incidents of assault against her Department's staff and (b) a breakdown of the immigration status of the perpetrators of such assaults.

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave on 27 November to question UIN 15076.

What steps her Department takes to help determine the ages of irregular migrants.

Where an individual claims to be a child without any documentary evidence, and where there is reason to doubt their claimed age, immigration officers are required to make an initial age decision to determine whether the individual should be treated as a child or an adult. This is an important first step to prevent individuals who are clearly an adult or child from being subjected unnecessarily to a more substantive age assessment and ensure that individuals are swiftly routed to the correct process.Current guidance provides that immigration officers may only treat that individual as an adult where that individual has no credible and clear documentary evidence proving their age, and two members of Home Office staff assess that their physical appearance and demeanour very strongly suggests that the individual is ‘significantly over 18.’ Where that threshold is not met, but there remains doubt about the individual’s age, they will be treated as a child, and transferred to a local authority for further consideration of their age. This often involves a further, more comprehensive age assessment if deemed necessary. This approach to initial decisions on age has been considered by the Supreme Court in BF (Eritrea) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2021] UKSC 38 and held to be lawful.

With reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Border Security and Asylum in response to the question from the hon. Member for Great Yarmouth during Oral Questions to the Home Office on 25 November 2024, what data will be published; when that data will be published; and whether that data will include crimes committed by irregular migrants.

I refer the Honourable Member to the statistics published on Thursday 28 November by the Home Office which can be found on the Migration statistics gov.uk page.Data on Foreign national offenders in UK prisons is available in the House of Lords Library and comes from the Ministry of Justice’s Offender management statistics quarterly release.

If she will make an estimate of the average amount of time that elapsed between the arrival in the UK of foreign nationals who go on to offend and the date of their offence by nationality in the last 12 months.

I refer the Honourable Member to the Answer I gave on 27 November to his Question UIN 15076.