[Withdrawn] Home Office single departmental plan: December 2017
Updated 27 June 2019
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This publication was withdrawn on 23 May 2018
It has been replaced by a new version
The first duty of Government is to protect the public. Since 1782, the Home Office has led work to keep the country safe from those who seek to do it harm; in doing so, we make a vital contribution to HM Government’s plan for a stronger, fairer, outward-looking and united Britain.
The Home Office covers 3 systems: Homeland Security, Public Safety and Borders, Immigration and Citizenship. These systems work collaboratively to deliver our cross-cutting priorities, whilst providing increasingly efficient and secure services for the public.
Our objectives
- Counter terrorism
- Cut crime
- Protect vulnerable people and communities
- Control immigration
- Manage crises
- Deliver world-class public services and promote growth
- Leaving the European Union
1. Counter terrorism
Lead ministers :
The Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP, Minister of State for Security
Nick Hurd MP, Minister of State for Policing and the Fire Service
Baroness Williams of Trafford, Minister of State for Countering Extremism and Minister for Equalities
Lead officials :
Tom Hurd, Director General, Office for Security and Counter Terrorism
Scott McPherson, Director General, Crime, Policing and Fire Group
1.1 Detect and disrupt terrorist threats to the UK and UK nationals and increase counter terrorism capabilities and countermeasures
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Deliver enhanced counter terrorism policing capabilities in line with the increased investment set out in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review |
| Implement the provisions of the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 |
| Review our counter terrorism strategy, approach, powers and capabilities to respond to the threat domestically, overseas and online, and informing the broader review of national security capabilities |
| Legislate so that people who repeatedly view terrorist content online, or that publish information about police or armed forces for the purpose of preparing an act of terrorism face up to 15 years in prison |
1.2 Protect our people by reducing the risk to the UK from extremism
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Implement the Home Office-led commitments across the four pillars of the Counter-Extremism Strategy |
| Establish a Commission for Countering Extremism |
| Influence and work with internet companies to bring forward technology solutions to rid online platforms of terrorist material |
1.3 Have the right structures and skills in place through National Security implementation and reform
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Establish a Security and Defence Diversity Network, sharing best practice and addressing our shared challenges, to drive development of a more diverse and inclusive national security community |
| Establish a virtual National Security Academy |
Our performance
Since June 2013, there have been 22 attack plots disrupted in the UK, including eight since the attack in Westminster on 22 March 2017
There were 379 arrests for terrorism-related offences in the year ending June 2017, an increase of 68% compared with the previous year, the highest number of arrests in a year since data collection began in 2001
Further data relating to counter terrorism, including terrorism arrests and outcomes, can be found in the statistical bulletin: ‘Operation of police powers under the Terrorism Act 2000’
Number of arrests for terrorism-related offences
| Year | Number of arrests |
|---|---|
| Year to September 2017 | 400 |
| Year to June 2017 | 379 |
| Year to December 2016 | 260 |
| Year to September 2016 | 255 |
| Year to June 2016 | 222 |
Source: Operation of police powers under the Terrorism Act 2000 / Release schedule: quarterly
2. Cut Crime
Lead ministers:
Nick Hurd MP, Minister of State for Policing and the Fire Service
The Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP, Minister of State for Security
Victoria Atkins MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Crime, Safeguarding and Vulnerability and Minister for Women
Lead officials:
Scott McPherson, Director General, Crime, Policing and Fire Group
Tom Hurd OBE, Director General, Office for Security and Counter Terrorism
2.1 Take early action against emerging and changing crime trends
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Continue to implement the Modern Crime Prevention Strategy to address the key drivers of crime and facilitate a shift in how we and our partners respond to ensure this is more prevention-focused |
| Review the 2016 Psychoactive Substances Act and implement the new Drug Strategy |
| Develop a new strategy to combat serious violence, which will include an increased focus on early intervention, partnership working, law enforcement response, and a better use of data and evidence |
2.2 Protect our people by reducing the risk from serious and organised crime
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Continue work to choke off the supply and availability of illegal firearms to prevent their use by criminal or terrorist groups in the UK |
| Introduce new measures to make the UK a more hostile place for those seeking to move, hide or use the proceeds of crime and corruption or to evade sanctions through implementing the provisions of the Criminal Finances Act 2017 |
| Ensure effective cooperation with European and international partners in tackling serious and organised crime, including cutting off supplies of drugs and firearms at source, identifying and preventing money laundering, and taking a transnational approach to combating cyber crime |
| Review our existing Serious and Organised Crime Strategy to inform the broader review of national security capabilities |
| Create a National Economic Crime Centre within the National Crime Agency to bring law enforcement, regulators and the private sector together to tackle high economic crime |
Our performance
Crimes traditionally measured by the Independent Crime Survey for England and Wales (i.e. excluding fraud and computer misuse offences) are down by 9% in the year to June 2017 compared with the previous year (from 6.4 million to 5.8 million crimes), continuing a longer-term downward trend.
Overall crime recorded by the police (including fraud) increased by 13% in the year to June 2017 (from 4.6 million to 5.2 million crimes). Most of this rise is thought to be due to increased reporting and improved crime recording. However, the ONS also believes some of the increases in low volume, but high harm, offences may be genuine.
Crimes measured by the Independent Crime Survey for England and Wales.
| Year | Crimes measured (000s) |
|---|---|
| Year ending June 2017 | 5,157 |
| Year ending June 2016 | 4,573 |
Source: Independent Crime Survey for England and Wales / Release schedule: annual
Figures on crime levels and trends for England and Wales are based primarily on two sets of statistics: the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) and police recorded crime data and are presented in the ONS Statistical bulletin: ‘Crime in England and Wales’. Police recorded crime is not currently considered a reliable measure of trends for most crime types, since it is affected by changes in recording practices and police activity, as well as changing behaviour in public reporting of crime.
3. Protect vulnerable people and communities
Lead ministers:
The Rt Hon Caroline Nokes MP, Minister of State for Immigration
Nick Hurd MP, Minister of State for Policing and the Fire Service
The Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP, Minister of State for Security
Victoria Atkins, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Crime, Safeguarding and Vulnerability and Minister for Women
Baroness Williams of Trafford, Minister of State for Countering Extremism and Minister for Equalities
Lead officials:
Patsy Wilkinson, Second Permanent Secretary
Scott McPherson, Director General, Crime, Policing and Fire Group
Tom Hurd, Director General, Office for Security and Counter Terrorism
3.1 Ensure a public safety system that protects vulnerable people, supports victims and brings perpetrators to justice
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Bring forward a bill to better support the victims of domestic violence and abuse. This will introduce a statutory definition of domestic abuse, create a new civil prevention and protection order and ensure that if abusive behaviour involves a child the court can hand down a sentence that reflects the devastating and life-long impact abuse can have |
| Manage implementation of the Home Office-led elements of the Hate Crime Action Plan for tackling hate crime committed on the basis of race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or transgender identity |
| Work with local authorities, the NHS and Police and Crime Commissioners to ensure a secure future for specialist FGM and forced marriage units, and rape crisis centres |
| Strengthen our approach to tackling online child sexual exploitation and abuse, including through the global WePROTECT initiative |
3.2 Protect refugees and victims of human trafficking and modern slavery
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Resettle 23,000 refugees from the Middle East and North Africa by 2020 |
| Reform the support system for identifying and supporting victims of modern slavery |
| Ensure that we have the right capabilities in the UK and overseas, and a comprehensive action plan, to better identify disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks involved in modern slavery and immigration crime |
Our performance
Domestic abuse, sexual offences and modern slavery are all underreported crime that affect the most vulnerable in our society, so it is encouraging that more victims are coming forward and police recording of these crimes is improving. For example, the number of police recorded crimes flagged as domestic abuse has risen 16% year-on-year; police recorded sex offences have risen 19%; and police recorded modern slavery offences have more than doubled, a 129% increase.
In 2016, 3,805 potential victims of human trafficking were referred to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM); a 17% increase on the number of referrals in 2015. Further information on the NRM, including the latest 2017 quarterly statistics, can be found in the National Crime Agency’s National Referral Mechanism statistics.
Potential victims of human trafficking referred to the National Referral Mechanism
| Year | Number of potential victims referred |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 3,805 |
| 2015 | 3,266 |
Source: National Referral Mechanism statistics / Release schedule: quarterly
As of 30 September 2017, 9,394 people have been granted humanitarian protection under the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS) since the scheme began, against a target of 20,000 by May 2020.
Further information on the number of people granted asylum or other forms of protection, and the support provided to asylum seekers can be found in the Home Office Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release.
4. Control immigration
Lead ministers:
The Rt Hon Caroline Nokes MP, Minister of State for Immigration
Lead officials:
Patsy Wilkinson, Second Permanent Secretary
4.1 Secure the border against threats from people and goods
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Develop a cross-Government border security action plan |
| Continue to invest in systems that give us data in advance about people intending to come to this country so that they can be checked against our records, including roll out of the Digital Services at the Border (DSAB) Programme |
| Enhance border security, including through joint working between law enforcement agencies and the Royal Navy to increase patrolling in our territorial waters, and through continued investment in our control points in France and Belgium |
4.2 Reduce the illegal population and the harm it causes
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Use legislation and other measures to encourage compliance and work with partners to deny illegal migrants access to benefits and services including employment, rental accommodation, bank accounts, driving licences, public funds and Local Authority services |
| Continue to encourage and enforce removal from the UK of people with no legal right to stay here |
4.3 Control legal migration to ensure that British businesses can recruit the brightest and best from around the world
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Continue building and managing an immigration system that meets the economic and social needs of the UK, including by toughening visa requirements where needed and reducing net migration to sustainable levels |
| Introduce an Immigration Bill that will end the free movement of European Union nationals as part of Britain’s departure from the EU |
| Double the number of Tier 1 (exceptional talent) visas available to support the UK’s technology sector, and make new visa provisions to attract world-class scientists and researchers to the UK |
Our performance
Annual net migration
| Year to date | Annual net migration |
|---|---|
| Year to June 2017 | 230,000 |
| Year to March 2017 | 243,000 |
| Year to December 2016 | 249,000 |
| Year to September 2016 | 273,000 |
| Year to June 2016 | 336,000 |
| Year to March 2016 | 237,000 |
| Year to December 2015 | 332,000 |
| Year to September 2015 | 332,000 |
| Year to June 2015 | 336,000 |
The latest immigration figures show that net migration fell to 230,000 in the year ending in June 2017, down from the recent peak of 336,000 seen in the year ending June 2016 and is now at a similar level to 2014
Source: ONS Migration Statistics Quarterly / Release schedule: quarterly
More detailed data and analysis about migration is provided in the ONS Migration Statistics Quarterly Release and in the Home Office Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release.
5. Manage crises
Lead ministers:
Nick Hurd MP, Minister of State for Policing and the Fire Service
The RT Hon Ben Wallace MP, Minister of State for Security
Lead officials:
Scott McPherson, Director General, Crime, Policing and Fire Group
Tom Hurd, Director General, Office for Security and Counter Terrorism
5.1 Support the Grenfell Tower Inquiry
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Support the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and Dame Judith Hackitt’s Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety, progressing associated issues of fire safety |
5.2 Continue to develop crisis response and resilience
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Publish and implement a national bio-security strategy, addressing the threat of natural disease outbreaks and the less likely threat of biological materials being used in a deliberate attack |
| Ensure effective fire and rescue service national capabilities are maintained |
| Work with BEIS, DfT and MOD on the feasibility, benefits and risks of creating a national infrastructure police force, bringing together the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, the Ministry of Defence and the British Transport Police |
6. Deliver world-class services and promote growth
Lead ministers:
The Rt Hon Caroline Nokes MP, Minister of State for Immigration
Nick Hurd MP, Minister of State for Policing and the Fire Service
Lead officials:
Patsy Wilkinson CB, Second Permanent Secretary
Scott McPherson, Director General, Crime, Policing and Fire Group
6.1 Transform the border, immigration and citizenship system, making best use of data and providing modern, efficient services that are digital by default
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Continue to process passengers more efficiently and effectively through further roll out of e-gates, extend digitisation to the issuing of e-visas, and consider the introduction of an Electronic Travel Authority scheme (similar to the US ESTA system) |
| Move to completely online visa applications on major routes through Access UK, as well as widening priority visa services |
| Extend online passport application services, building on the success of adult passport renewals |
6.2 Promote collaboration, raise capabilities and increase transparency through public safety system transformation
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Enabling fire and police services to work more closely together and developing the role of our elected and accountable Police and Crime Commissioners |
| Overhauling the police complaints system |
| Transforming the delivery of fire and rescue services, including reform of governance, transparency, accountability, efficiency, workforce and prevention |
| Using the Police Transformation Fund to incentivise the transformation of the Police to achieve the 2025 Vision for Policing |
Our performance
Passengers cleared at the border within published service standards
| Quarter | Proportion of passengers (%) |
|---|---|
| Q3 2017 | 95.7 |
| Q2 2017 | 97.0 |
| Q1 2017 | 98.5 |
| Q4 2016 | 98.7 |
| Q3 2016 | 95.9 |
| Q2 2016 | 97.6 |
| Q1 2016 | 98.7 |
| Q4 2015 | 99.3 |
| Q3 2015 | 98.3 |
| Q2 2015 | 99.1 |
| Q1 2015 | 99.5 |
Information on performance against service standards in the Border and Immigration system can be found in Migration transparency data. For example, the latest release shows that 96% of passengers were cleared at the border within published service standards in Q3 of 2017, and 90% of UKVI applicants were satisfied with the application service overall in 2016.
Source: Migration Transparency Data / Release schedule: quarterly
UK Visas & Immigration applicants satisfied with the application service
| Year | Percentage of applicants |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 90 |
| 2015 | 88 |
Source: Migration Transparency Data / Release schedule: annual
Victim satisfaction with the police
| Year ending | % ‘very’ or ‘fairly’ satisfied |
|---|---|
| Year ending March 2017 | 68 |
| Year ending March 2016 | 71 |
| Year ending March 2015 | 72 |
Victim satisfaction with the police remains high with victims ‘very’ or ‘fairly’ satisfied with the police in 68% of incidents of crime in the year ending March 2017 (according to the Crime Survey for England and Wales).
Source: Office for National Statistics / Release schedule: annual
7. Leaving the European Union
Bring the country together, restore the public’s confidence in immigration, and keep British citizens safe, as the UK leaves the European Union
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Support negotiations, design and deliver a system that secures the status of EU citizens who are already living in the UK, in accordance with the agreement with the EU on citizens’ rights |
| Develop options for Ministers on future immigration arrangements to enable the Government to control immigration in the national interest |
| Deliver the components of a new, mutually beneficial customs agreement with the EU (with HMRC) |
| Agree a comprehensive new security, law enforcement and criminal justice partnership with the EU to fight shared threats from terrorism and organised crime |
Our finances
Total Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) - £11 billion
Resource DEL (including depreciation) - £10.5 billion
Capital DEL – £0.5 billion
Annually Managed Expenditure – £2.5 billion
Control totals included in this document are in line with the latest voted by Parliament in the Main Supply Estimates 2017-18
Source: Main Supply Estimates 2017/18