As an Executive Non-Departmental Public Body of the Home Office, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is operationally independent and responsible for the service it provides.

The DBS operates to service standards of completing 85% of Basic check applications within two days, 85% of Standard check applications within three days, and 80% of Enhanced check applications within 14 days. Its latest performance data against those service standards is available here. DBS dataset 1: DBS checks, the DBS Update Service, and disputes - GOV.UK

Achievement of the Enhanced check performance target continues to be impacted by delays at the police checking stage. DBS’s is working to improve performance for Enhanced DBS checks. This focuses on prioritising cases and supporting those police forces not attaining agreed turnaround times, including working with forces on recruitment. DBS is also working on enhancing matching algorithms and collaborating strategically with National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC).

I appreciate the impact delays in processing checks can have on those awaiting employment. Nonetheless, it is of utmost importance from a safeguarding perspective that DBS and police forces make the correct decisions to ensure that applications are processed accurately and correctly.

On 18th December 2025, this government published the ‘Freedom from Violence and Abuse; a cross-cutting strategy’, setting out our whole-system approach to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. The Strategy is backed by at least £1 billion of funding across government over the spending review period, including £550 million for victims’ services, incorporating a 2% uplift a year, and £499 million for safe housing for victims of abuse over the next three years.

We have already begun implementing measures, such as rolling out Domestic Abuse Protection Orders, embedding domestic abuse specialists in police control rooms through Raneem’s Law, and establishing a new National Policing Centre for VAWG and Public Protection with £13.1 million of funding.

On 15th June this year, the Home Office launched three coordinated funding competitions for multi-year grant funding totalling £98.5m. These cover: Helplines – national access to support: Advocacy – specialist, one to one victim support; and Interventions for Perpetrators– which aim to reduce risk and improve victim safety.

The publication of data by local authorities and the Crown Prosecution Service are matters for the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Attorney General respectively.

The Home Office is focused on delivering the recommendations from Baroness Casey’s National Audit on Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse. This includes mandating more comprehensive collection of data by police forces, as well as working across government to ensure safeguarding agencies (including the police, local authorities, schools and health services) are using information and intelligence to disrupt and prosecute those committing these terrible crimes and ensure victims and survivors are protected.

Operation Hexagon was a police operation established by Greater Manchester Police in 2019 independently of Government.

The Home Office is not aware of having received briefings on Operation Hexagon and currently holds only information that is publicly available.

A manual search of the information requested has not been conducted, as it would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold.

Operation Hexagon was a police operation established by Greater Manchester Police in 2019 independently of Government.

The Home Office is not aware of having received briefings on Operation Hexagon and currently holds only information that is publicly available.

A manual search of the information requested has not been conducted, as it would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold.

The Moroccan authorities hold primacy for the investigation into the disappearance of Inaayah Makda, and any request from the Moroccan authorities for assistance from UK law enforcement agencies will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

While the Home Secretary has not had discussions with representatives of the Moroccan authorities, consular assistance continues to be provided by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

The Government has been assured by the Moroccan authorities that all leads, and any new leads, will be followed up appropriately.

The Government is unwavering in its commitment to tackling modern slavery. As with any protective system, there is potential for improper use, and reform is needed to ensure the system is fair, efficient and effective in identifying and supporting victims while preventing abuse.

The Immigration and Asylum Bill embeds modern slavery considerations within the new claims notice process to encourage and support individuals to disclose any modern slavery experience at the earliest opportunity.

Information provided outside the claims process will still be considered when determining whether a person is a victim, but late disclosure will form part of credibility assessments. Individuals will have an opportunity to explain any delay.

Where modern slavery claims are raised after the claims notice and removal action has commenced, they may be treated as having been made in bad faith and could result in disqualification, unless compelling circumstances apply.

These reforms will support earlier identification, strengthen decision-making and address misuse of the system, while ensuring victims continue to receive protection and support.

We are funding the National Centre for Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and Public Protection to improve the national police response to VAWG. Their work includes supporting forces to implement Operation Soteria, which consists of guidance and tools developed by academics to support officers to better support victims of rape and sexual offences and ensure investigations centre on the suspect.

In addition, every police force in England and Wales will have a specialist rape and sexual offence team by 2029. The Home Secretary provided guidance to policing to assist forces to deliver these teams in December 2025.

We are funding the National Centre for Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and Public Protection to improve the national police response to VAWG. Their work includes supporting forces to implement Operation Soteria, which consists of guidance and tools developed by academics to support officers to better support victims of rape and sexual offences and ensure investigations centre on the suspect.

In addition, every police force in England and Wales will have a specialist rape and sexual offence team by 2029. The Home Secretary provided guidance to policing to assist forces to deliver these teams in December 2025.

Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a top priority for this government. This is why we have made it our mission to halve levels of VAWG in a decade, using every lever available to us. Information sharing can help to safeguard victims or potential victims against domestic abuse.

The UK has well-established mechanisms for the mutual exchange of information on convicted criminals with foreign partners on a case-by-case basis, including via multilateral and bilateral agreements, such as INTERPOL and the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

The police have common law powers which enable them to proactively share information where it is necessary to protect individuals from harm. UK’s data protection legislation allows for personal data to be processed to pursue legitimate aims. Chief officers are responsible for determining how these powers are applied locally, in line with guidance from the College of Policing and National Police Chiefs’ Council, and must ensure that any disclosures comply with UK GDPR, the Human Rights Act 1998 and other relevant legislation.

This Government recognises the profound and lasting impact of violence against women and girls, and we are absolutely committed to improving the police response to these crimes.

We have established the National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection (NCVPP) to raise the profile of VAWG within policing, working directly with all forces across England and Wales to drive consistent practice and deliver local improvements.

This includes ensuring all forces to have the right specialist capability to address sexual offences, through the implementation of specialist rape and sexual offence teams in every force.

These specialist teams will utilise the principles and tools developed through Operation Soteria to ensure victims are supported and suspect-focused investigations are taken forward. The Soteria principles and tools recognise the importance of building a culture where officers working on these cases are supported and their wellbeing prioritised.

In January 2026 we also published the Police Reform White Paper, which outlines the most significant reforms to policing in nearly 200 years, including in respect of workforce capacity, capability and wellbeing.

The serious events in Crewe are part of an ongoing police investigation. It is for first responder organisations to refer any victims to support services as appropriate.

The National Referral Mechanism (NRM) is the UK’s framework for identifying and supporting victims of modern slavery and human trafficking. First Responders are made up of statutory and non-statutory organisations, including the police, Local Authorities, Border Force and specific NGOs. National referral mechanism guidance: adult (England and Wales) - GOV.UK

They are trained by their respective organisations to identify indicators of modern slavery and refer potential victims into the NRM for their cases to be considered by the appropriate Competent Authority. Once referred into the NRM, individuals have the option to access specialist Government support.

The Home Office engages regularly with a wide range of stakeholders, including faith organisations, on the implementation of measures to tackle child sexual abuse. Ministers and officials have had discussions on mandatory reporting with representatives of the Church of England as part of this wider engagement.

The Government is clear that compliance with the new statutory duty to report child sexual abuse is a vital step in changing cultures and ensuring that concerns are identified and acted upon. We will continue to engage with faith groups and other stakeholders to support effective implementation of the new duty, including through the development and publication of statutory guidance.

On 15 June 2026, the Home Office launched funding competitions for the VAWG Helplines Scheme, and VAWG Advocacy Support Fund which will strengthen support for victims, including specialist provision to address gaps in local services, and the Domestic Abuse and Stalking Perpetrator Intervention Fund, which includes for the first time ringfenced funding for interventions for children who use harm.

These competitions will deliver on the commitments we made in the VAWG Strategy. Further information can be found on ‘Find Government Grants’ - GOV.UK.

This Government recognises the profound and lasting impact of violence against women and girls, and we are absolutely committed to improving the police response to these crimes.

We have established the National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection (NCVPP) to raise the profile of VAWG within policing, working directly with all forces across England and Wales to drive consistent practice and deliver local improvements.

This includes ensuring all forces to have the right specialist capability to address sexual offences, through the implementation of specialist rape and sexual offence teams in every force.

These specialist teams will utilise the principles and tools developed through Operation Soteria to ensure victims are supported and suspect-focused investigations are taken forward. The Soteria principles and tools recognise the importance of building a culture where officers working on these cases are supported and their wellbeing prioritised.

In January 2026 we also published the Police Reform White Paper, which outlines the most significant reforms to policing in nearly 200 years, including in respect of workforce capacity, capability and wellbeing.

This Government recognises the profound and lasting impact of violence against women and girls, and we are absolutely committed to improving the police response to these crimes.

We have established the National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection (NCVPP) to raise the profile of VAWG within policing, working directly with all forces across England and Wales to drive consistent practice and deliver local improvements.

This includes ensuring all forces to have the right specialist capability to address sexual offences, through the implementation of specialist rape and sexual offence teams in every force.

These specialist teams will utilise the principles and tools developed through Operation Soteria to ensure victims are supported and suspect-focused investigations are taken forward. The Soteria principles and tools recognise the importance of building a culture where officers working on these cases are supported and their wellbeing prioritised.

In January 2026 we also published the Police Reform White Paper, which outlines the most significant reforms to policing in nearly 200 years, including in respect of workforce capacity, capability and wellbeing.

The Prime Minister announced on Monday 8 June that Britain would become the first country in the world to make it impossible for children to take, share and view nude imagery; and that will work with tech companies for three months to ensure that comprehensive nudity detection is implemented at operating system level, with adults able to switch it off by proving they are over-18 through age assurance.

We are currently engaging with industry, with a focus on the primary operating system providers, to ensure that the government’s objective is met. If legislation is necessary in future, we will draft legislation to be effective and proportionate, applying appropriately to relevant parts of industry; and ensure maximum coverage of devices already in circulation.

This period of engagement with industry will focus on further refining technical solutions to prevent nude imagery from being taken, shared or viewed; which will include consideration of accuracy thresholds.

The Government has considered risks and workarounds during our development of this policy which is precisely why the Government considers action at operating system can provide the most comprehensive coverage to protect children from sending, viewing and sharing nude imagery. By engaging with industry we will continue to consider potential circumventions, and ensure that protections are as effective as possible in response, and that guidance is produced if necessary.

This policy currently applies to smartphone and tablet operating systems, and will apply to newly sold and existing devices – through operating system updates to supported devices.

The Prime Minister announced on Monday 8 June that Britain would become the first country in the world to make it impossible for children to take, share and view nude imagery; and that will work with tech companies for three months to ensure that comprehensive nudity detection is implemented at operating system level, with adults able to switch it off by proving they are over-18 through age assurance.

We are currently engaging with industry, with a focus on the primary operating system providers, to ensure that the government’s objective is met. If legislation is necessary in future, we will draft legislation to be effective and proportionate, applying appropriately to relevant parts of industry; and ensure maximum coverage of devices already in circulation.

This period of engagement with industry will focus on further refining technical solutions to prevent nude imagery from being taken, shared or viewed; which will include consideration of accuracy thresholds.

The Government has considered risks and workarounds during our development of this policy which is precisely why the Government considers action at operating system can provide the most comprehensive coverage to protect children from sending, viewing and sharing nude imagery. By engaging with industry we will continue to consider potential circumventions, and ensure that protections are as effective as possible in response, and that guidance is produced if necessary.

This policy currently applies to smartphone and tablet operating systems, and will apply to newly sold and existing devices – through operating system updates to supported devices.

The Prime Minister announced on Monday 8 June that Britain would become the first country in the world to make it impossible for children to take, share and view nude imagery; and that will work with tech companies for three months to ensure that comprehensive nudity detection is implemented at operating system level, with adults able to switch it off by proving they are over-18 through age assurance.

We are currently engaging with industry, with a focus on the primary operating system providers, to ensure that the government’s objective is met. If legislation is necessary in future, we will draft legislation to be effective and proportionate, applying appropriately to relevant parts of industry; and ensure maximum coverage of devices already in circulation.

This period of engagement with industry will focus on further refining technical solutions to prevent nude imagery from being taken, shared or viewed; which will include consideration of accuracy thresholds.

The Government has considered risks and workarounds during our development of this policy which is precisely why the Government considers action at operating system can provide the most comprehensive coverage to protect children from sending, viewing and sharing nude imagery. By engaging with industry we will continue to consider potential circumventions, and ensure that protections are as effective as possible in response, and that guidance is produced if necessary.

This policy currently applies to smartphone and tablet operating systems, and will apply to newly sold and existing devices – through operating system updates to supported devices.