The Care Quality Commission (CQC) does not centrally record whether providers are delivering National Health Service funded care, so cannot identify Regulation 20 duty of candour breaches by those independent providers.

In the last three years, the CQC has suspended the registration of one independent healthcare organisation for breaches of Regulation 20. The CQC has also requested action plans from two independent healthcare organisations for breaches of Regulation 20.

All providers of NHS funded care must comply with the NHS Complaints (England) Regulations 2009 in their complaints handling arrangements. This includes the requirement to advise a complainant of their right to refer their complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) if they are dissatisfied with the response to their complaint. It is the role of the PHSO to independently investigate complaints that NHS and NHS-funded organisations have not acted properly or fairly.

While it is not the role of the CQC to enforce the complaints regulations, it does assess whether registered providers have effective arrangements for receiving, handling, and responding to complaints as part of its regulatory role, and may take action where providers fail to meet the relevant regulatory requirements.

There is currently no age of sale restriction for nicotine pouches, and therefore no penalties apply. However, from 29 October 2026, it will be an offence to sell these products to a person under the age of 18 years old.

We are carefully considering the responses to our October 2025 call for evidence on tobacco and vapes, including on the granting of licences, to inform our proposals for future consultation, and we will set out our plans in the normal way in due course.

The Government is investing up to £10 million of new funding per year in Trading Standards until 2028/29 to support the enforcement of illicit and underage tobacco and vape sales, and the implementation of the measures in the Tobacco and Vapes Act.

However, powers in the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 also allow licensing fees collected from retailers to be used by local authorities to cover the costs of administering and enforcing the scheme. This will minimise burdens on local authorities and central government, and ensure the scheme can be implemented sustainably.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will strengthen enforcement and crack down on rogue retailers selling illegal and unregulated tobacco and vape products to children and young people. The Bill introduces new £200 fixed penalty notices in England and Wales for certain tobacco and vape offences, including underage sales, and enables the introduction of a retail licensing scheme in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and a new registration scheme for tobacco, vape and nicotine products sold on the UK market.

Alongside the Bill, we are investing £30 million of new funding for enforcement agencies in 2025/26, including Trading Standards, HMRC and Border Force. This funding is being used to support the enforcement of illicit and underage tobacco and vape sales in England, and the implementation of the measures in the Bill.

Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for this Government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission.

Our Crime and Policing Bill will give the police greater powers to clamp down on all vehicles, including e-scooters, involved in anti-social behaviour with officers no longer required to issue a warning before seizing these vehicles.

On 28 May, the Government launched a six-week consultation on proposals to allow the police to more quickly dispose of seized vehicles such as e-scooters, which have been used anti-socially.

Combined, these proposals will help tackle the scourge of vehicles ridden anti-socially by sending a clear message to would be offenders and local communities that this behaviour will not be tolerated.

There are various offences relating to e-scooter use that the police can enforce with a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN). Riding an e-scooter on the pavement can result in a FPN of £50.

The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police and local authorities with a range of flexible tools and powers, including Public Spaces Protection Orders, that they can use to tackle dog-related incidents in public spaces.

Appropriate use of the powers is a local decision for local authorities, police and other agencies. The Home Office regularly engages with police and local authority partners to discuss the effectiveness of the legislation.

We are making changes to some of the powers in the 2014 Act via the Crime and Policing Bill to ensure the powers – based on engagement with police and local authorities – are as effective as possible. These changes include increasing the upper limit for a fixed penalty notice for breach of a Public Spaces Protection Order from £100 to £500 to act as a stronger deterrent to anti-social behaviour, including dog-related incidents in public spaces.

The Home Office has not made an assessment of the potential impact of non-compliant number plates on the levels of revenue to traffic enforcement forces.

The Government is working closely with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC), Trading Standards, local authorities and other government departments to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime.

Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for this Government, and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission to take back our streets. Any form of anti-social, dangerous or inconsiderate behaviour involving vehicles is a serious issue.

Our Crime and Policing Bill will give the police greater powers to clamp down on all vehicles, including e-bikes, involved in anti-social behaviour including street racing, with officers no longer required to issue a warning before seizing these vehicles.

On 28 May, the Government launched a six-week consultation on proposals to allow the police to dispose of seized vehicles such as e-bikes, which have been used anti-socially from 14 days to 48 hours. Combined, these proposals will help tackle the scourge of vehicles ridden anti-socially and illegally by sending a clear message to would be offenders and local communities that this behaviour will not be tolerated.

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that alcohol licensing fees, set under Section 55 of the Licensing Act 2003, are fair, proportionate and reflective of the costs incurred by local authorities in administering the licensing system.

A previous consultation by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government explored whether local authorities should have more control over setting statutory fees. The Government is reviewing the consultation’s findings and will assess the wider fee landscape alongside this to inform any potential future changes.

This Government is committed to tackling retail crime. Through our Crime and Policing Bill, we have introduced a standalone offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores.

Assaults against delivery drivers are already an offence (common assault) under the Criminal Justice Act 1988, and are covered under other legislation such as the Offences against the Person Act 1861, which also covers more serious violence, including actual bodily harm and grievous bodily harm.

Section 156 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 creates a statutory aggravating factor in sentencing cases of assault against public facing workers. It applies where an assault is committed against those providing a public service, performing a public duty or providing a service to the public. This includes those delivering goods to customers and other public-facing roles.

The use and deployment of drones by policing is an operational matter made independently by police forces, who are best placed to assess their own operational needs while ensuring they have the tools necessary to protect the public.

However, in the use and deployment of drones, police forces must have due regard to Data Protection legislation and the Air Navigation Order (ANO) 2016, which specifies the requirements and conduct drone operators must abide by to use drones in a manner which is both safe and does not unduly endanger or negatively impact members of the public.

To support development of a national drone capability for policing which is effective and safe, in FY24/25, the Home Office allocated over £4m to national police-led programmes of work to drive standardisation and improve coordination in police drone operations to support public safety outcomes.

Furthermore, to support development of these programmes and improve the safe and legal use of drones by policing, police forces work closely with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Drone activities conducted by members of the public is a matter for the CAA, who are responsible for regulating the activities of civilian drone operators.

The Government is committed to tackling antisemitism and other forms of hate crimes and supports the police in taking robust action where protests cross the line into criminality. Where protest activity does involve criminality, the police have a broad range of powers to respond. The use of these powers and the management of demonstrations are operational matters for individual forces, and Government ministers are unable to intervene in these decisions.

On the issue of antisemitism, I would also refer the Hon Member to the Speech given by the Home Secretary at the annual dinner of the Community Security Trust on 26 March, which can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/home-secretary-speech-at-the-community-security-trust

We keep firearms licensing controls under constant review to safeguard the public against the misuse of licensed firearms. We will shortly be refreshing the Statutory Guidance to tighten the criteria applied by police forces when considering if someone is suitable to have a firearms certificate, including handling of domestic abuse allegations, treatment of violent offences, the impact of dishonesty, and the role and arrangements for referees supporting an application.

Firearms licensing fees were increased to enable full cost recovery on 5 February 2025, giving effect to a commitment in the Government’s manifesto. The extra income from fees will help police forces to better resource and train their firearms licensing teams. Later this year we will also be publishing a new consultation on greater alignment of shotgun and firearms controls and other proposals for making changes to firearms legislation.

Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for the Government and a key part of the Safer Streets Mission. We are giving police the powers they need to tackle anti-social vehicles including the illegal use of e-scooters, to make it easier for them to seize these vehicles from offenders and dispose of them.

On 25 February 2025, the Crime and Policing Bill was introduced to Parliament. The Bill includes proposals to give the police greater powers to against illegal use of e-scooters involved in anti-social behaviour with officers no longer required to issue a warning before seizing these vehicles.

This will strengthen the law and send a clear message that this sort of behaviour is not tolerated.

The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police, local authorities and other local agencies with a range of tools and powers they can use to respond to anti-social behaviour (ASB), including the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO).

It is for local authorities to determine how to operate the powers and to ensure use remains just and proportionate. Where local authorities contract enforcement to third parties, contractors are bound by the same legal obligations, and the same safeguards in legislation, as councils themselves. Local authorities are also obliged to follow the rules set out in the Public Contract Regulations 2015 in appointment of such companies.

Local authorities may already use the closure power under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, to close premises quickly which are being used, or are likely to be used, to commit nuisance or disorder. Courts may in turn grant a Closure Order where a person has engaged in criminal behaviour on the premises. This existing power is designed specifically to protect victims and communities by enabling swift action where premises are creating harm.

Alongside these powers, the Government is introducing a new criminal offence of ‘cuckooing’, being brought forward in the Crime and Policing Bill. This offence will criminalise the control over another person’s home for criminal purposes, particularly where vulnerable individuals are targeted and exploited. It will enable stronger action against criminals who prey on others in this way and help ensure victims are protected from this crime. The Government will publish guidance to support implementation of the new offence, including on how law enforcement partners can work with local authorities as part of a multi-agency response to tackle cuckooing.

These tools and legislative measures demonstrate the Government’s commitment to empowering local authorities and law enforcement agencies to take robust action against serious and organised criminal activity.

This Government has no plans to legalise cannabis.

Cannabis is controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The maximum penalty for possession of a Class B drug is up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

The maximum penalty for supply and production of a Class B drug is up to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.