For security reasons, the Home Office does not provide figures of how many staff have worked or are currently working at overseas deployments.

The Home Office continues to ensure appropriate overseas staff resourcing deployments are maintained.

I was very concerned to see the reports regarding potential temporary disruption to Eurostar’s operations at Amsterdam Centraal from June 2024 due to planned renovation works at the station. The Government has engaged directly with Dutch counterparts and Eurostar. The Dutch Government have now confirmed that they will urgently engage with Eurostar and relevant partners to explore if there are alternative solutions to maintain Eurostar operations throughout the renovation works. I fully support this latest dialogue and my officials will continue to monitor this closely.

All British Army Boxer vehicles are based on the same dimensions of the common base vehicle, which are shared with our partner Nations. Minor variations in overall dimensions between Nations occur due to the equipment integrated to the vehicle dependent on the role or capability being undertaken.

The Government is resolute in its commitment to tackle Organised Immigration Crime (OIC).

Tackling people smuggling of all types is a priority for Immigration Enforcement, working through its international network upstream as well as conducting OIC investigations within the UK. Additionally, the dedicated multi-agency OIC Taskforce, led by the National Crime Agency, is committed to dismantling OCGs engaged in immigration crime internationally. The Taskforce is active in 17 countries worldwide, and its activities include supporting judicial and intelligence capacity building in source and transit countries, and intelligence sharing in key near Europe countries. The NCA undertakes investigations into complex and serious OIC offences, arresting offenders in the UK and overseas and bringing them to justice.

In addition to the Taskforce, the NCA has a network in excess of 140 International Liaison Officers (ILOs) based in more than 45 locations, covering over 100 countries. For operational security reasons, the NCA does not disclose those countries in which NCA Liaison Officers are based. The NCA also has intelligence and investigative teams that are deployed across the full range of Serious and Organised Crime threats, where tackling Organised Immigration Crime is a priority.

The NCA overseas liaison officers network works with international partners and coordinates UK law enforcement overseas to gather intelligence, conduct operational activity (through agreement with partners) and enhance international delivery through a variety of means, including capacity building, training, joint European or international taskforces. The Liaison Officer network also includes officers based in the multilateral institutions of Europol and INTERPOL.

The tragedy in the Channel last December sadly demonstrates the extent to which OCGs endanger migrants’ lives at sea. The NCA, Home Office, Ministry of Defence and UK police forces continue to collaborate with French counterparts to tackle the criminals behind the majority of these crossing attempts and protect lives at sea. Our joint efforts are resulting in continued arrests and prosecutions of these criminals, so that we deter, disrupt and dismantle the networks responsible for facilitating many of these crossings.

Joint Investigation Teams are another part of our toolkit to address cross border organised crime. JITs provide a legal framework for investigation teams set up for a fixed period between two or more countries to investigate a specific cross-border case. The UK participates in multiple JITs with an Organised Immigration Crime (OIC) dimension; however, for operational reasons we cannot provide further detail.

We also share information about criminality around small boats between international agencies. The UK-France Joint Intelligence Cell (known to France as the Unité de renseignement opérationnel, so URO or JIC) consists of UK and French officials, as well as a Europol embed, who collate and analyse operational intelligence to prevent crossings and to dismantle the gangs behind them. Since the JIC was established in July 2020, 59 organised criminal groups involved in small boats crossings in France have been dismantled. Our joint activity with the French saw nearly 400 arrests made in 2022 alone.

We also pursue those involved in the financial flows that support this activity. Using criminal powers in the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, an individual can be prosecuted for money laundering offences if sufficient evidence is obtainable and CPS agree to charging, or civil powers within the same act permit the action to be taken against the money concerned. Both these approaches are used to undermine the financial flows supporting small boat and wider clandestine smuggling, both in the UK and with foreign partners.

As I said to the House in my statement on 1 November, reports of undeclared ‘police stations’ in the UK are of course very concerning and are taken extremely seriously. Any foreign country operating on UK soil must abide by UK law.

Home Office officials are in regular contact with the police. They are investigating allegations of unlawful activity. It would be inappropriate for me to comment further on operational matters.

As I said to the House on 1 November, I will provide an update on the work relating to transnational repression in due course.

As I said to the House in my statement on 1 November, reports of undeclared ‘police stations’ in the UK are of course very concerning and are taken extremely seriously. Any foreign country operating on UK soil must abide by UK law.

In the specific case of the alleged overseas police stations, as I stated to the House on the 1 November, I have spoken to the police and I am assured that they are investigating allegations of unlawful activity. It would be inappropriate for me to comment further on operational matters, including on the status of potential international collaboration.

We do maintain a good relationship with various international counterparts and regularly engage with others on the issue of transnational repression more widely.

All FCDO transparency and freedom of information releases are published on gov.uk. Transparency data has been published in this way since 2009/2010. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/letter-from-the-prime-minister-on-government-transparency-and-open-data.

It is standard practice across government to publish total overseas travel cost figures for Ministers. These can be found in our published Quarterly Transparency Returns.

The Netherlands, like other EU Member States, can request HGV registration details under Mutual Legal Assistance provisions. However, the Trade and Cooperation Agreement suspends timescales for responding to Mutual Legal Assistance requests for vehicle registration data in respect of the enforcement of minor traffic offences until 1 January 2024. Requests are dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

We are reviewing our approach to the provision of data once timescales apply.

All FCDO transparency and freedom of information releases are published on gov.uk. Transparency data has been published in this way since 2009/2010. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/letter-from-the-prime-minister-on-government-transparency-and-open-data.

It is standard practice across government to publish total overseas travel cost figures for Ministers. These can be found in our published Quarterly Transparency Returns.

The United Kingdom is engaged in the process to modernise the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) to ensure it is aligned with her climate objectives and advances the British and global clean energy transition. Given the substantial investment required to support the energy transition, the ECT plays an important role in supporting these objectives by protecting British and global investments in clean energy.

The United Kingdom has investment agreements with Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provisions with over 90 trading partners, including within the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT). There has never been a successful ISDS claim brought against the United Kingdom, nor has the threat of potential claims affected decisions taken by HM Government.