Author: admin

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to reduce racist hate crimes since the EU referendum.

    Sarah Newton

    The Government condemns all hate crimes and is committed to tackling these crimes in partnership with the communities affected.

    The scenes and behaviour we saw over the summer, including offensive graffiti and abuse hurled at people because they are members of ethnic minorities or because of their nationality, are despicable and shameful. We must stand together against such hate crime and ensure that it is stamped out.

    We already have in place some of the strongest legislation to tackle hate crime in the world – this includes specific offences for racially and religiously aggravated activity and offences of the stirring up of hatred on the grounds of race, religion and sexual orientation. We also have stronger sentences for hate crime.

    The Government has committed to taking action to improve our response to hate crime. This includes joint training between the police and Crown Prosecution staff to improve the way the police identify and investigate hate crime; building on the improvements to police recording of hate crime by working with the police to break down religious-based hate crime by religion; and working with victims and advocacy groups to improve victims confidence to come forward and report such crimes.

    The police are also improving their operational practices and recording. Last year, the College of Policing published Operational Guidance for officers responding to hate crime which comprehensively covers how to address all forms of hate crime.

    On 26 July, the Home Office published a comprehensive new hate crime action plan which builds on the work already done, and sets out Government action over the next four years to tackle hate crime. It includes:

    ● new steps to boost reporting of hate crime and support victims;

    ● new CPS guidance to prosecutors on racially aggravated crime;

    ● a new fund for protective security measures at places of worship, which is currently open for applications; and

    ● additional funding to community organisations tackling hate crime, including racist hate crime.

    The increased levels of hate crime reporting seen over the summer have now reduced and we have observed three consecutive weeks of reporting levels that fall within the expected levels that we have observed in previous years. Police will continue to monitor the signs of tension and will react swiftly if they identify any future raised levels.

    Nobody in this country should live in fear because of who they are and anyone who experiences hate crime should report it to the police, either in person at a police station, online through the True Vision website, or by phoning 101.

  • Dominic Raab – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Dominic Raab – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dominic Raab on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many threat to life notices each police force in England and Wales has issued in the last five years.

    Brandon Lewis

    This information is not held centrally. Where a threat is made to an individual, it is an operational matter for police forces and law enforcement agencies to decide whether to issue threat to life notices, taking account of individual circumstances, to mitigate the risk to potential victims.

  • Dominic Raab – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Dominic Raab – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dominic Raab on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many threat to life notices were issued to people with suspected links to organised crime in each of the last five years.

    Brandon Lewis

    This information is not held centrally. Where a threat is made to an individual, it is an operational matter for police forces and law enforcement agencies to decide whether to issue threat to life notices, taking account of individual circumstances, to mitigate the risk to potential victims.

  • Dominic Raab – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Dominic Raab – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dominic Raab on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many threat to life notices have been issued in each of the last five years.

    Brandon Lewis

    This information is not held centrally. Where a threat is made to an individual, it is an operational matter for police forces and law enforcement agencies to decide whether to issue threat to life notices, taking account of individual circumstances, to mitigate the risk to potential victims.

  • Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many civil injunctions have been made under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.

    Sir Oliver Heald

    The information requested could only be provided at disproportionate costs.

  • Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding to support unaccompanied asylum seeking children was provided to each (a) local authority and (b) gateway authority in (i) 2013-14, (ii) 2014-15, (iii) 2015-16, and (iv) 2016-17.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    For the periods we have full information [FY 13-14, 14-15 & 15-16], a total of £243 million in funding was distributed to the following local authorities and gateway authorities, to support unaccompanied asylum seeking children. [This data is taken from unpublished local management information that is not subject to national statistics protocols and is therefore subject to change]. [Table]

  • Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Monaghan on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with people from other EU countries living in the UK since the EU referendum on their right to live in the UK after the UK’s exit from the EU.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    Government Ministers and officials engage with a wide range of stakeholders.

    The Prime Minister has been clear that she wants to protect the status of EU nationals here. The only circumstances in which that would not be possible are if British citizens’ rights in other EU Member States were not protected in return.

  • Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Paul Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Monaghan on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans the Government has to improve the provision of asylum accommodation.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    We have worked closely with our COMPASS Providers to improve property standards and over the lifetime of the contract quality standards have increased. Where issues with accommodation are discovered we work with our contractors to ensure issues are quickly addressed. When they are not we can and do impose sanctions and seek remedial plans to drive improvement. Through continued engagement with service users and accommodation providers and regular property inspections the Home Office will continue to ensure asylum accommodation is adequate.

  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 11 May 2016 to Question 36578, what the findings relevant to Tibet were of her Department’s-funded assessments of glacial melt and rivers in the Himalayas.

    Rory Stewart

    As noted in the Answer of 13 April 2013 to Question 151281, DFID funded two assessments on glacial melt in the Himalayan region. It has since piloted a method of assessing glaciers in the region using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). The studies indicate that the Himalayan glaciers have been shrinking overall at 0.4-0.5% per year since the 1950s. The studies are available on DFID’s Research for Development website.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if her Department will increase investment in decentralised renewable energy in areas where it will benefit the world’s poorest people.

    James Wharton

    The UK Government is playing a leading role in improving energy access in developing countries, including through our Energy Africa campaign which is working with solar firms to help them access the finance they need to expand their businesses, create jobs and help reach millions of people in Africa without electricity access.