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  • Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jim Cunningham – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government plans to bring forward legislative proposals to change (a) the classification of external communications for the purposes of interception and (b) other aspects of UK surveillance law.

    James Brokenshire

    External Communication is defined within the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) 2000 and the statutory Interception of Communications Code of Practice which was approved by Parliament and came into force on 1 July 2002. The Government has no present plans to amend the definition of external communication.

  • Brooks Newmark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Brooks Newmark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Brooks Newmark on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her Department has in response to the HM Inspector of Constabulary Inquiry into police response to domestic violence in creating a culture change towards domestic violence.

    Norman Baker

    Last September, the Home Secretary commissioned Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of
    Constabulary to conduct a review of the response to domestic abuse
    across all police forces. HMIC published its findings in March 2014,
    emphasising that the key priority is a culture change in the police so that
    domestic violence and abuse is treated as the crime that it is and that the
    police use the full range of tools already available to them.

    In response to the Review, the Home Secretary has established a new national
    oversight group, which she is chairing, and on which I sit, to oversee delivery
    against each of HMIC’s recommendations. Their first meeting was held
    on 10 June. The Home Secretary has also written to chief constables making it clear
    that every police force must have an action plan in place by September 2014.

    There are a number of offences that make domestic abuse illegal, including
    actual bodily harm, grievous bodily harm and assault. Assault can extend to
    non-physical harm. This Government has introduced stalking and harassment
    legislation which can apply to coercive control and psychological abuse.
    However, the Government will continue to consider what measures will drive
    culture change in the police in response to the findings of the HMIC review.

  • Diana Johnson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Diana Johnson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who within her Department authorised the passing of information about forthcoming proscription orders to The Sun newspaper; and whether that authorisation was agreed by a Minister or special adviser in her Department.

    James Brokenshire

    No Minister or Special Adviser at the Home Office authorised the release of information about the forthcoming proscription to The Sun newspaper.

    I have written in response to the point of order reiterating that we take Parliamentary business very seriously and always seek to follow Mr Speaker’s preference that the House is informed first of the Home Secretary’s intention to proscribe terrorist groups. This was our intent on this occasion.

  • Christopher Chope – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Christopher Chope – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the deportation order served on Didier Pierre Paulet on 19 November 2007 pursuant to a recommendation by a Crown Court Judge for deportation has been implemented; and if she will make a statement.

    Karen Bradley

    The Home Office does not comment on individual cases.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether invoices for legal or other work carried out in connection with the Savile Inquiry have been submitted for payment since January 2013.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    No invoices have been submitted for payment in respect of legal work in connection with the Saville Inquiry. An invoice was submitted in March 2013 for hosting of the Inquiry website.

  • Julian Huppert – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Julian Huppert – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Huppert on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department takes to ensure that accommodation provided by the COMPASS contracts meets the Decent Homes Standards.

    Karen Bradley

    It is a statutory requirement that social housing meets the Decent Homes
    Standard as defined in the Housing Act 2004.

    All COMPASS contracts incorporate the requirements of the Decent Home Standards
    for social housing as part of the contractual performance management
    arrangements and are robustly monitored through three key performance
    indicators which relate specifically to property standards.

    Providers are required to inspect all properties on a monthly basis or at the
    point when a service user first occupies the property. In addition, the Home
    Office has a team of 17 contract compliance officers who also closely monitor
    property standards as part of their contract compliance and assurance role.

    Any failure of the critical service levels may result in financial penalties.

  • Julian Huppert – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Julian Huppert – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julian Huppert on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department takes to ensure that asylum seekers in COMPASS accommodation are able to register complaints quickly and easily.

    Karen Bradley

    The COMPASS contracts lay down requirements for the management of enquiries and
    complaints received in respect of accommodation services provided to asylum
    seekers.

    COMPASS providers have a complaints service in place through which the asylum
    seeker, their representative, the voluntary sector or local authorities can
    raise concerns or issues direct. Providers also provide asylum seekers with a
    detailed briefing on how they can raise a complaint as part of the move in
    process. Asylum seekers can raise a complaint in a confidential way, and with
    the assistance of an interpreter when required.

    The complaints process is subject to performance management under the Key
    Performance Indicators regime. Providers are required to report their
    performance in terms of dealing with complaints on a monthly basis. In
    addition, the Home Office has a team of 17 contract compliance officers who
    also closely monitor complaints made to providers or made direct to the Home
    Office as part of their contract compliance and assurance role.

    Any failure of the critical service levels may result in financial penalties.

  • Douglas Carswell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Douglas Carswell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether police and crime commissioners will be able to decide on the applicability of the adoption of her Department’s new guidelines on the use of stop and search by police to the area they represent.

    Damian Green

    It is for Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners to make decisions about whether and when to adopt the scheme.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Dan Jarvis – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to reduce homophobic and transphobic hate crimes against LGBT people.

    Norman Baker

    Tackling all forms of hate crime, including that motivated by hatred of a person’s sexual orientation or transgender identity is an issue the coalition Government takes very seriously.

    On 1 May 2014 we published ‘Challenge it, Report it, Stop it – Delivering the Government’s Hate Crime Action Plan’. This progress report provides an overview of our achievements since the action plan was first published in March 2012 and sets out our key priorities for the remainder of this Parliament. A specific action in the plan includes tackling homophobia and transphobia in sports.

    We are meeting the coalition commitment to improve the recording of hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation and transgender identity and are working with the police and other partners to encourage more victims to come forward. We have supported voluntary sector organisations to develop third party reporting services for LGBT victims.

  • David Hanson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    David Hanson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Hanson on 2014-06-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Brent Central of 16 June 2014, Official Report, column 445W, on HMP Verne, in which prison establishment for how long each person detained has been held.

    Karen Bradley

    It is not possible to provide detail of how long those held in prison
    establishments have been detained without the examination of individual records
    at disproportionate cost.