The below Parliamentary question was asked by Holly Lynch on 2016-09-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police dogs are available at any given time to the West Yorkshire Police Force; and how such police dogs are geographically deployed.
Brandon Lewis
Operational decisions on the availability and deployment of dogs are made on a force by force basis and are a matter for chief constables, working with their Police and Crime Commissioners.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jessica Morden on 2016-09-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the implications for customer service of changing the operation of the Security Industry Authority contact centre from telephone to email.
Brandon Lewis
The Security Industry Authority is moving towards a digital by default licensing system. We are aware that there have been issues during the transition to digital which have resulted in higher than expected volumes of customer contact.
We are working closely with the Security Industry Authority to ensure customer service issues are addressed; the Security Industry Authority have already increased the number of staff responding to customer queries.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2016-09-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on tackling radicalisation of young people by Islamist extremists.
Mr Ben Wallace
Tackling the radicalisation of young people is a key priority for this Government. Prevent is a key part of our counter – terrorism strategy (CONTEST). It safeguards vulnerable individuals by building resilience to extremist ideologies, countering the ideology that terrorists espouse, and removing access to terrorist propaganda online.
Many of the issues dealt with under the CONTEST strategy and the principles it sets out are relevant to the threat in Northern Ireland. We work closely with the Northern Ireland Executive, the PSNI and other partners as they respond to those who would seek to undermine peace and prosperity.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Dodds on 2016-09-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the counter extremism strategy.
Sarah Newton
The Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland agreed prior to publication of the Counter-Extremism Strategy (October 2015) that the strategy would not extend to Northern Ireland at this stage.
Home Office officials have engaged colleagues in the Northern Ireland Executive and Northern Ireland Office, including during visits to Belfast. We remain keen to maintain this engagement to share ideas and discuss all aspects of the strategy.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-09-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what meetings she has had with those non-governmental organisations which receive funding from her Department since she took up office.
Rory Stewart
The Secretary of State has met a range of non-governmental organisations, including during her overseas visits. Information on Ministers’ meetings with external organisations is published as part of DFID’s quarterly Transparency return.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-09-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what meetings she has had with the Prime Minister on the status of the 0.7 per cent gross national income to be used as Overseas Development Assistance funding since taking up office.
Rory Stewart
The Secretary of State meets regularly with the Prime Minister. Both the Secretary of State and the Prime Minister have stated that they are committed to the Government’s policy of spending 0.7 per cent of Gross National Income on Official Development Assistance.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-09-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what meetings her officials have had with non-governmental organisations which receive funding from her Department since she took up office.
Rory Stewart
As a matter of course, DFID officials meet regularly in the UK and overseas with a wide range of non-governmental organisations who receive funding from DFID.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2016-09-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been convicted of offences under section 127 of the Communications Act 2003 in each of the last five years.
Mr Sam Gyimah
The information requested can be found on GOV.UK.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Blenkinsop on 2016-09-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of prohibited steps orders on access to families across the Scottish English border; and on the movement of families and individuals across that border.
Dr Phillip Lee
The welfare of the child is the court’s paramount consideration when making a prohibited steps order and such orders restricting the freedom of a parent to choose his or her place of residence are exceptional.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2016-09-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to address non-payment of tolls, charges, penalties and fees by non-UK drivers.
Mr John Hayes
The Government takes the recovery of non-payment of tolls, charges, penalties and fees very seriously by UK and non UK drivers. The following sets out the steps used by the different organisations responsible in addressing the non-payment of UK charges and penalties.
When a non-UK vehicle uses the Dartford Crossing without paying the Dart Charge, Highways England uses a European debt recovery agency to issue a Penalty Charge Notice. Highways England also runs seasonal compliance campaigns, providing translated material at ports, airports and poster sites in the Calais area to build broader awareness for foreign drivers heading to the UK.
For the HGV levy, the Government has effective enforcement procedures that are delivering 95% compliance rates in Great Britain. The Driver and Vehicle and Licencing Agency (DVLA) has the powers to target non-compliant vehicles, and hold them until a penalty is paid.
Enforcement of road traffic legislation is an operational matter for the police. They are able to issue penalties for speeding, and those who cannot provide a verified UK address can be required to make an on-the-spot roadside payment, known as a fixed penalty deposit.
Local authorities have powers to clamp or remove foreign vehicles to ensure drivers comply with parking restrictions and pay any penalties.
The Government will continue to look at the ways we collect tolls, charges, penalties and fees by non-UK drivers and ensure improvements are made where necessary.