Every parliamentary written question tabled by Siân Berry this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 181–200 of 398 · this parliament
Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of (a) trends in the level of demand for and (b) the adequacy of older people’s housing, including sheltered housing and care homes, for older LGBTIQA+ people.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 74681 on 12 September 2025.
If she will publish data, broken down by police service, of all offences by category associated with suspects or offenders who were detected using live facial recognition (LFR) technology during each calendar year since 2016, along with any other categories of people added to LFR watchlists, if these were not suspects or offenders.
The Government is committed to equipping police forces with the tools they need to tackle serious crimes, locate offenders and bring them to justice. As part of this commitment, the Home Office has funded the roll-out of ten live facial recognition (LFR) vans.The National Audit Office reports on Home Office expenditure which is then independently scrutinised and reported on by the Public Accounts Committee.Oversight of LFR is provided by a number of independent bodies including the Information Commissioner, Equality and Human Rights Commission and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire & Rescue Services.However, oversight is fragmented and we want to improve it through the creation of a bespoke new legal framework. Subject to consultation, that framework will include specific oversight for the use of biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies.The Home Office does not hold data on the number of arrests made following the police’s use of facial recognition technology, including the use of LFR, as specific LFR deployment decisions rest with individual police forces. The department is however funding national evaluation work to understand better the impact of facial recognition on police and crime outcomes.Where police forces are using LFR, the number of arrests made following each deployment are published on their respective websites. Further, the Met Police have published these in their recent Live Facial Recognition Annual Report September 2025
What independent scrutiny is being carried out on the use of the ten new live facial recognition systems provided to local police services by the Home Office, starting in November 2025, and when the conclusions of this scrutiny will be published.
The Government is committed to equipping police forces with the tools they need to tackle serious crimes, locate offenders and bring them to justice. As part of this commitment, the Home Office has funded the roll-out of ten live facial recognition (LFR) vans.The National Audit Office reports on Home Office expenditure which is then independently scrutinised and reported on by the Public Accounts Committee.Oversight of LFR is provided by a number of independent bodies including the Information Commissioner, Equality and Human Rights Commission and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire & Rescue Services.However, oversight is fragmented and we want to improve it through the creation of a bespoke new legal framework. Subject to consultation, that framework will include specific oversight for the use of biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies.The Home Office does not hold data on the number of arrests made following the police’s use of facial recognition technology, including the use of LFR, as specific LFR deployment decisions rest with individual police forces. The department is however funding national evaluation work to understand better the impact of facial recognition on police and crime outcomes.Where police forces are using LFR, the number of arrests made following each deployment are published on their respective websites. Further, the Met Police have published these in their recent Live Facial Recognition Annual Report September 2025
Communities and Local Government, if he will support the establishment of structured, research-led innovation through an Areas of Research interest approach for fire and rescue services, similar to that adopted by police services in England.
The Government recognises the importance of working collaboratively with sector partners.The implementation of an Areas of Research Interest (ARI) approach to support research and innovation will be considered as part of the due process associated with any future establishment of a college. This ensures that decisions are informed by evidence-based priorities and aligned with fire sector needs.
Whether staff in her Department have been instructed to apply Access to Work guidance more strictly since July 2024.
For the last year, we have worked to improve decision-making throughout the Access to Work Scheme by ensuring that guidance is applied with greater consistency, helping to provide a fairer process. This may mean that some awards change at the point of renewal, but this does not reflect a change in policy of the Scheme.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to (a) investigate (i) war crimes and (ii) genocide in Sudan and (b) support international efforts to (A) end violence and (B) protect civilians in that country; whether she plans to (1) impose targeted sanctions on those responsible for that violence and (2) prevent UK arms exports; and what plans her Department has to increase the (a) volume and (b) effectiveness of humanitarian aid in that country.
I refer the Hon. Member to the statement made by the Foreign Secretary on Sudan on 18 November, which addressed all these issues at length.
What action he is taking to ensure that the voices of people with learning disabilities are heard directly during the Timms Review of Personal Independence Payment, including (a) digitally excluded people with learning disabilities, (b) people with learning disabilities who are non-verbal, and (c) people with learning disabilities who need written information provided in an accessible format.
For the Review to be a success, lived experience must be at the heart of its work. The Timms Review will be co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, clinicians, experts, MPs and other stakeholders, to ensure that expertise from a wide range of perspectives is drawn upon. On 30 October, I published the revised Terms of Reference on GOV.UK which set out further details about its scope. I also announced that the Review will be co-chaired by myself alongside Sharon Brennan and Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE. We will oversee a steering group responsible for leading the co-production process, setting the Review's strategic direction, priorities and workplan. The group will be made up of a majority of disabled people or representatives of disabled people's organisations and will be recruited through an open and transparent Expression of Interest (EOI) process, which is now live. We have worked closely with experts to ensure the EOI is accessible, inclusive and has a broad reach. The steering group will not work alone, it will oversee a programme of participation that brings together the full range of views and voices.
What response she has to the recommendation of the October 2025 final report of the Poverty Strategy Commission that parents with No Recourse to Public Funds conditions who have children who are British citizens should have access to child-related public funds, including Child Benefit and access to support for childcare.
Child Benefit is a payment made to individuals who are responsible for a child or children irrespective of the child’s nationality. No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) is a standard condition applied to most categories of temporary immigration permission. Those with NRPF do not generally have access to public funds, including Child Benefit. The expectation of the Government is that in general migrants coming into the UK should be able to maintain and accommodate themselves and their dependents without recourse to public funds.
If she will take steps to ensure that diesel vehicle manufacturers responsible for illegal emissions practices contribute to environmental remediation or compensation schemes.
The Government takes illegal emissions practices extremely seriously. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s Market Surveillance Unit (MSU) is investigating cases of possible non-compliant diesel emissions in cars and vans. The investigations aim to ensure any non-compliance found is fixed as soon as reasonably possible, working together with manufacturers to achieve real-world impacts on air quality.
What assessment she has made of the potential merits of amending (a) visa and (b) asylum routes for people fleeing conflict in Sudan with British national immediate family members in the UK by (i) waiving income rules, (ii) allowing asylum applications to be made in third party countries and (c) bringing forward other measures to help reunite families separated by conflict.
Sudanese nationals who wish to come to the UK to join a family member here need a family visa. Applications can be made for a family visa to live with a spouse or partner; fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner; parent; child; relative who is providing care.The financial requirements form part of the ‘core’ requirements of the Family Immigration Rules. Expecting family migrants and their sponsors to be financially independent is reasonable, both to them and the taxpayer.However, where someone cannot meet the core requirements, including those relating to finances, permission will still be granted where refusal would breach Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.As part of the Immigration White Paper reforms, the government intends to set out a new family policy that will cover all UK residents, including those who are British, settled, on work routes or refugees seeking to bring family members to the UK.The UK has a proud history of providing protection and we continue to welcome refugees and people in need through our safe and legal routes. However, there is no provision within our Immigration Rules for someone to be allowed to travel to the UK to seek asylum or temporary refuge. Those who need international protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach – that is the fastest route to safety.Whilst we sympathise with people in many difficult situations around the world, including the current situation in Sudan, we are not bound to consider asylum claims from the very large numbers of people overseas who might wish to come here. It is important that safe and legal routes are sustainable, well managed and in line with the UK’s capacity to welcome, accommodate and integrate refugees. We do not currently have any plans to open a specific route for people affected by the conflict in Sudan.Additionally, the recently announced Asylum Policy Statement set out a new model for refugee resettlement. We will give greater say to communities and support refugees as they settle, become self-sufficient, and contribute to their local areas. This new model will be based on local capacity to support refugees, and arrival numbers will be tightly controlled by the government.To achieve this, we will: • Reform refugee sponsorship to give voluntary and community sector organisations a greater role in resettlement through named sponsorship, within caps set by government. • Introduce a capped route for refugee and displaced students to study in the UK, helping talented refugees to continue their studies, realise their potential and be able to return to their country and help rebuild it as soon as circumstances allow. • Establish a capped route for skilled refugees and displaced people to come to the UK for work, building on the experience of the Displaced Talent Mobility Pilot.Our intention is that those arriving on the reformed resettlement routes will be on the ten-year route to settlement. However, this will be subject to wider consultation.
Pursuant to the Answer of 4 November 2025 to Question 88125, what current through-ticketed rail-sail routes are available through (a) train operators and (b) ferry operators for (i) domestic travel and (ii) international travel.
The current through-ticketed rail-sail routes available through train operators and ferry operators for domestic travel is to Northern Ireland (Cairnryan or Holyhead to Belfast), the Isle of Wight (Portsmouth-Ryde, Southampton to Cowes, Lymington to Yarmouth), and the Isle of Man (Liverpool and Heysham to Douglas). For international travel it is to Ireland via Fishguard (currently Pembroke) to Rosslare, Holyhead to Dublin and Harwich to Hook of Holland.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the human rights situation in Iraq, in particular in relation to the rights of Kurdish people; and what action she is taking.
The UK remains deeply concerned about the human rights situation in Iraq, including restrictions on free expression and barriers to women's political participation. We continue to urge the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government to uphold constitutional rights and international obligations.The UK, working with international partners, will continue to press for accountability and reform and support civil society groups advocating for minority and women's rights.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to the Egyptian authorities on allowing Alaa Abd el-Fattah to travel to the UK.
The government welcomes Alaa Abd El-Fattah's release from prison on 23 September 2025, following a Presidential pardon. We continue to press at the highest levels with the Egyptian government for his urgent return to the UK, including in a call between the Prime Minister and President Sisi on 18 November, and between the Foreign Secretary and the Egyptian Foreign Minister on 20 November.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the human rights situation in Turkiye, in particular in relation to politically motivated prosecutions and judgments in the European Court of Human Rights; and what action she is taking to help improve the situation inside that country for opposition politicians.
The Government maintains a regular dialogue with Turkey, a key North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ally and strategic partner. The UK expects Turkey to uphold the rule of law, to live up to its international obligations as a founding member of the Council of Europe and act in line with the European Convention on Human Rights. As staunch supporters of democracy and human rights we will always support the fundamental rights to freedom of speech, peaceful assembly and media freedom. We regularly discuss these issues with our Turkish counterparts at ministerial and official levels.
What assessment she has made of the potential impact of diesel vehicles equipped with defeat devices on levels of nitrogen dioxide pollution in urban areas; and whether she plans to introduce (a) targeted air pollution mitigation and (b) vehicle retirement schemes in areas most affected by non-compliant diesel vehicle emissions.
The Government is committed to reducing air pollution from all forms of transport. Elevated NOx emissions from diesel vehicles contribute to poor air quality. The Department has not produced a specific UK-only assessment of the potential impact of diesel vehicles equipped with defeat devices on NO2 pollution in urban areas. However, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s Market Surveillance Unit (MSU) is investigating cases of possible non-compliant diesel emissions in cars and vans. The investigations aim to ensure any non-compliance found is fixed as soon as reasonably possible, working together with manufacturers to achieve real-world impacts on air quality. Clean Air Zones have been implemented locally where evidence shows they are the quickest route to reduce NO2 pollution, and where no equally effective alternatives can be identified. Local authorities are best placed to determine the most appropriate measures to meet legally binding air quality obligations.
Excluding umbrella groups, how many meetings in total have ministers in his department held during (a) 2024 and (b) 2025 with community energy organisations.
Details of Ministers' and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears.
What assessment he has made of the potential merits of making the NHS the preferred provider for commissioned healthcare services.
The Government’s ambition, as set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, is to increasingly put power into patients’ hands themselves so they can personalise their National Health Service care to their individual needs, choices, and preferences.More broadly, the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 provide a proportionate framework under which NHS commissioners consider the most appropriate approach in awarding contracts to healthcare providers. The Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 are available at the following link: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2023/1348/contents/made Further information on the selection processes is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/how-commissioning-is-changing/nhs-provider-selection-regime/
Pursuant to the answers to question 87756 on 14 November 2025 and question 87421 on 11 November 2025, what consideration has she made of the value for money of (a) continuing to leave current railway rolling stock leasing arrangements in the private sector, and (b) bringing future procurement of railway rolling stock into the public sector.
Rolling Stock Leasing Companies (ROSCOs) play an important role in the industry, bringing benefits to both taxpayers and passengers. Since 1995 there has been significant private sector investment in rolling stock totalling over £20 billion. The Government is now working to develop a long-term strategy for rolling stock and associated infrastructure, which will consider how the public sector can secure best value from the rolling stock market in future, but we expect Great British Railways to continue to lease rolling stock from ROSCOs where they can offer value for money terms.
Pursuant to the answer to question 86550 answered on 7 November 2025, whether he will publish the dates of meetings that took place between his Department and the Home Office to enable the establishment of MILLWEC as an alternative to SACMILL.
The Surgeon General advised the Executive Committee of the Scientific Advisory Committee on the Medical Implications of Less-Lethal Weapons (SACMILL) which includes Home Office representation, of the Public Bodies Review at a meeting in December 2024. A series of meetings were held between Ministry of Defence and Home Office officials between January 2025 and October 2025. This included representatives from Public Bodies teams and the Cabinet Office and enabled the establishment of an alternative mechanism within the Home Office. As outlined in the previous response, the closure of SACMILL is an important step in Defence’s Arm’s length Body reform journey and the closure and standing up of MILLWEC was agreed by Ministerial write round.
If she will (a) review and (b) update Ukraine-related immigration (i) policies and (ii) guidance (A) in general and (B) on the application of protection principles depending on immigration route; what evidential criteria are used to justify refusal based on internal relocation; and if she will suspend removals to Ukraine during that review.
Our assessment of the situation in Ukraine is set out in the relevant Country Policy and Information Notes (CPINs), which are available on the Gov.UK website.The CPINs for Ukraine are based on evidence taken from a wide range of reliable sources, including reputable media outlets; local, national and international organisations, including human rights organisations; and information from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The material drawn from those sources, including links to the original documents, are available in the published notes. This provides the evidence base for our assessment, which itself considers the situation in general, and regionally, against the relevant legal and policy framework for considering protection claims. Decision makers will consider how this applies in individual cases, including considerations such as internal relocation. The CPINs are kept under constant review and are updated periodically to ensure they remain accurate and reflect current country conditions.Decisions on whether to remove individuals are made on a case-by-case basis depending on the situation at the time.