The Disclosure & Barring Service publishes its performance against all levels of check on a quarterly basis at DBS dataset 1: DBS checks, the DBS Update Service, and disputes - GOV.UK.

For the most recently reported quarter, the average turnaround time for Basic checks is reported as 0.8 days.

The Government continues to have a policy of non-engagement with the Muslim Council of Britain.

Decisions about the procurement and use of software, cloud services and other technology are matters for individual police forces, which are operationally independent from Government.

The Home Office supports policing to adopt technology that improves effectiveness and value for money and expects forces to comply with relevant procurement, commercial, security and data protection requirements when selecting and deploying technology solutions.

The Government committed in Protecting What Matters to reviewing and refreshing the Life in the UK Test so that it better reflects modern life in the UK and supports integration objectives.

This work is underway. The Home Office is considering how the test can best reflect contemporary British society, values, institutions and civic participation, while remaining accessible and appropriate for those seeking settlement or citizenship.

Details will be announced in due course.

Nationals of Caribbean countries remain able to apply for permission to come to the UK to study at our higher education institutions, including through the Student route. The change referred to has no direct impact on the ability of any national to apply for the Student route.

The UK works closely with the French Government and French law enforcement partners to prevent dangerous small boat crossings and tackle the criminal gangs that facilitate them.

Since the election, joint work with France has prevented more than 48,000 attempted crossings and resulted in the seizure of over 1,100 boats and engines. Operational decisions in French territorial waters remain a matter for the French authorities but reports of them assisting migrant journeys is a mischaracterisation of their activity.

Through the Home Secretary's latest deal we have strengthened this cooperation through increased French law enforcement deployments, specialist policing units, enhanced surveillance and intelligence sharing. France has also reviewed its maritime approach and authorised new interventions at sea to intercept taxi boats and prevent dangerous crossings.

The decision to implement a visa brake on the student route for nationals of Cameroon does not reflect the UK’s bilateral relationship with Cameroon which we value immensely.

The decision to introduce the visa brake is solely based upon the high number and proportion of visa-linked asylum claims in the student route, in order to protect the UK’s immigration system and border security.

The brake will be kept under regular review. The visa brake is not intended to be permanent, but it will only be released once the government considers it appropriate to do so.

Applications for visas on the affected routes from the affected nationalities are now being refused. The Impact Assessment published during implementation of the visa brake sets out the forecasted impacts on Student visa applications for the affected nationalities. The latest public immigration statistics show that visa applications for the affected routes and nationalities in Q2 2026 have on average fallen by over 90% compared to Q4 2025.

We value the contribution of the higher education sector and continue to engage regularly with it, including Universities UK and the Russell Group, on the challenges the system faces. The visa brake is a temporary, evidence led measure, but will only be lifted when the Government judges it appropriate to do so.

I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave on 11 September to Question HL3403.

“In the Restoring Order and Control statement, the Home Secretary announced the development of new safe and legal routes to enable communities, universities and employers to identify refugees to sponsor.These routes offer an alternative to dangerous journeys for refugees genuinely fleeing war and persecution.

As announced on 27 June, the refugee study and named sponsorship routes will open to applications from prospective lead sponsors in the autumn, with arrivals expected from autumn 2027 onwards. The refugee work route is expected to open next year.

Work is underway to deliver the new routes, and the Government will set out further details in due course."

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that facial recognition technology is used with appropriate safeguards. There is an established legal framework governing the use of the technology, including compliance with data protection, equality and human rights legislation.

Local authorities considering the use of the technology must ensure that its use is lawful, necessary and proportionate, and complies with applicable legal requirements.

Local authorities must also have regard to the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice, which sets out guiding principles for the appropriate, transparent and effective use of surveillance camera systems. The Code, which is overseen by the Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner, promotes accountability, transparency, effective governance and public confidence.

More broadly, the Government has consulted on a new framework for law enforcement use of biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies. The Police Reform Bill will include clearer rules and safeguards, and a single expert body to provide independent advice and oversight.

Police have a broad suite of powers available to manage protests, respond to disorder and address criminality where the relevant legal thresholds are met.

The use of these powers is a matter for operationally independent forces who will take decisions on a case-by-case basis, to ensure that enforcement is proportionate and effective in protecting communities from harm.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) is operationally independent of the Home Office. Decisions on whether to investigate particular matters, and how investigations are conducted, are for the Agency.

The NCA investigates fraud where cases meet the Agency’s thresholds for adoption. Other law enforcement agencies can and do investigate fraud too.

The NCA has publicly confirmed investigations into the falsification of COVID-19 vaccination records and abuse of the Bounce Back Loan scheme, among other fraud offences.

The Agency will continue to assess referrals relating to COVID-19 fraud in line with its statutory remit and operational priorities and will investigate cases that meet its adoption criteria.

The Home Office does not hold data on immigration enforcement activity at the level of detail requested. Illegal working enforcement activity is recorded by broader business sectors and enforcement outcomes, not by specific sub-sectors such as barbering premises. As a result, we are unable to provide figures on the number of immigration enforcement visits carried out at barbering premises, or the number of arrests and civil penalties arising from those visits.

A breakdown of illegal working enforcement activity is available in the Home Office publications which can be accessed at:

Our published national data on enforcement activity is available at the following link Immigration system statistics, year ending June 2026 - GOV.UK

Details of illegal working activity is available at the following link: Illegal working and enforcement activity to the end of June 2026 - GOV.UK

Details of civil penalties is available at the following link: Migration transparency data - GOV.UK

There is an increase in operational activity at barbering premises due to an increased focus on Organised Immigration Crime and high cash volume business. These operations are increasingly conducted in partnership through Op Lockstream and Op Machinize bringing together policing, NCA, Trading Standards, HMRC and local authorities with Immigration Enforcement to tackle high street crime. All Immigration Enforcement activity is intelligence led.

Between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2026, Immigration Enforcement teams have now made over 17,000 arrests on illegal working visits, a 122% increase on the two-year period immediately prior. Teams have carried out almost 25,000 visits across the UK to businesses suspected of using illegal workers, marking a 111% increase.

We have made a huge investment in our Immigration Enforcement service, and investment is set to double by 2029, alongside a 60% increase in enforcement officers enabling us to increase enforcement activity further.

When a site has been identified for use as asylum accommodation, Home Office officials will write to the local authority Chief Executive and the constituency MP to inform them of plans to accommodate asylum seekers within the alternative accommodation identified. This is normally done in advance of a site being used, but where an urgent need for accommodation occurs, this may take place retrospectively.

The latest published Immigration Statistics detail the number of supported asylum seekers accommodated in each local authority area, including those in dispersal properties. These statistics can be found at Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK.

The Home Office continues to share information to support effective transitions from asylum accommodation. This includes the weekly Discontinuation Prediction Tool, which provides a real-time view of cases entering the discontinuation process and a four-week forward look at the likely volumes of individuals who may seek local authority assistance following a positive decision.

Under the government’s National Plan to End Homelessness strategy the Home Office has made a commitment to ensure all local authorities receive information from asylum accommodation providers for 100% of newly granted refugees at risk of homelessness. We are working closely with partners across the asylum accommodation system to achieve this commitment and improve the timely sharing of information. This will enable local authorities to commence a homelessness assessment which will be received within 2 days of an asylum discontinuation and within 14 days of family reunion visa issuance.

To support this commitment, the Home Office is working with asylum accommodation providers and reviewing its data-sharing arrangements to improve the quality and timeliness of information provided to local authorities, including more consistent and actionable information at the point asylum support is discontinued.

Where the Home Office identifies that a person may have been granted EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) status in error, they are given an opportunity to provide evidence to show that they meet the requirements for that status. Their existing status under the EUSS is not cancelled as a result of that process. Where the person holds pre-settled status, it remains valid until its expiry date but will not be extended beyond that point. The person is informed they do not meet the requirements to sponsor applications to the EUSS from family members.

A person informed by the Home Office that they have been granted pre-settled status in error can re-apply to the EUSS if they disagree and, if refused, they can appeal to the independent First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber). Where such an application to the EUSS is made before the expiry of their pre-settled status, they will continue to hold that status while the application, and any appeal against refusal, remains outstanding.

The Home Office considers that the existing arrangements are consistent with the UK's obligations under the Withdrawal Agreement. The approach taken is the Home Office’s usual approach when limited leave to enter or remain is granted in error. It allows the person to continue to enjoy a basis of stay in the UK, and the right to work here, for the remaining period of that leave, during which they can apply for leave to remain in the UK under any immigration route available to them.

Local management information indicates that from the introduction of the EUSS in 2018 to 30 June 2026, 1,473 individuals have been notified that their pre-settled status was granted in error. These figures are derived from manual records and may be subject to revision. Information on how many of these individuals’ pre-settled status has expired, or is at risk of expiry, is not held in a reportable format.

Where the Home Office identifies that a person may have been granted EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) status in error, they are given an opportunity to provide evidence to show that they meet the requirements for that status. Their existing status under the EUSS is not cancelled as a result of that process. Where the person holds pre-settled status, it remains valid until its expiry date but will not be extended beyond that point. The person is informed they do not meet the requirements to sponsor applications to the EUSS from family members.

A person informed by the Home Office that they have been granted pre-settled status in error can re-apply to the EUSS if they disagree and, if refused, they can appeal to the independent First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber). Where such an application to the EUSS is made before the expiry of their pre-settled status, they will continue to hold that status while the application, and any appeal against refusal, remains outstanding.

The Home Office considers that the existing arrangements are consistent with the UK's obligations under the Withdrawal Agreement. The approach taken is the Home Office’s usual approach when limited leave to enter or remain is granted in error. It allows the person to continue to enjoy a basis of stay in the UK, and the right to work here, for the remaining period of that leave, during which they can apply for leave to remain in the UK under any immigration route available to them.

Local management information indicates that from the introduction of the EUSS in 2018 to 30 June 2026, 1,473 individuals have been notified that their pre-settled status was granted in error. These figures are derived from manual records and may be subject to revision. Information on how many of these individuals’ pre-settled status has expired, or is at risk of expiry, is not held in a reportable format.

Where the Home Office identifies that a person may have been granted EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) status in error, they are given an opportunity to provide evidence to show that they meet the requirements for that status. Their existing status under the EUSS is not cancelled as a result of that process. Where the person holds pre-settled status, it remains valid until its expiry date but will not be extended beyond that point. The person is informed they do not meet the requirements to sponsor applications to the EUSS from family members.

A person informed by the Home Office that they have been granted pre-settled status in error can re-apply to the EUSS if they disagree and, if refused, they can appeal to the independent First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber). Where such an application to the EUSS is made before the expiry of their pre-settled status, they will continue to hold that status while the application, and any appeal against refusal, remains outstanding.

The Home Office considers that the existing arrangements are consistent with the UK's obligations under the Withdrawal Agreement. The approach taken is the Home Office’s usual approach when limited leave to enter or remain is granted in error. It allows the person to continue to enjoy a basis of stay in the UK, and the right to work here, for the remaining period of that leave, during which they can apply for leave to remain in the UK under any immigration route available to them.

Local management information indicates that from the introduction of the EUSS in 2018 to 30 June 2026, 1,473 individuals have been notified that their pre-settled status was granted in error. These figures are derived from manual records and may be subject to revision. Information on how many of these individuals’ pre-settled status has expired, or is at risk of expiry, is not held in a reportable format.

Where the Home Office identifies that a person may have been granted EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) status in error, they are given an opportunity to provide evidence to show that they meet the requirements for that status. Their existing status under the EUSS is not cancelled as a result of that process. Where the person holds pre-settled status, it remains valid until its expiry date but will not be extended beyond that point. The person is informed they do not meet the requirements to sponsor applications to the EUSS from family members.

A person informed by the Home Office that they have been granted pre-settled status in error can re-apply to the EUSS if they disagree and, if refused, they can appeal to the independent First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber). Where such an application to the EUSS is made before the expiry of their pre-settled status, they will continue to hold that status while the application, and any appeal against refusal, remains outstanding.

The Home Office considers that the existing arrangements are consistent with the UK's obligations under the Withdrawal Agreement. The approach taken is the Home Office’s usual approach when limited leave to enter or remain is granted in error. It allows the person to continue to enjoy a basis of stay in the UK, and the right to work here, for the remaining period of that leave, during which they can apply for leave to remain in the UK under any immigration route available to them.

Local management information indicates that from the introduction of the EUSS in 2018 to 30 June 2026, 1,473 individuals have been notified that their pre-settled status was granted in error. These figures are derived from manual records and may be subject to revision. Information on how many of these individuals’ pre-settled status has expired, or is at risk of expiry, is not held in a reportable format.

In the Restoring Order and Control statement, the Home Secretary announced the development of new safe and legal routes to enable communities, universities and employers to identify refugees to sponsor. These routes offer an alternative to dangerous journeys for refugees genuinely fleeing war and persecution.

As announced on 27 June, the refugee study and named sponsorship routes will open to applications from prospective lead sponsors in the autumn, with arrivals expected from autumn 2027 onwards. The refugee work route is expected to open next year.

Work is underway to deliver the new routes, and the Government will set out further details in due course.