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  • Lucy Allan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lucy Allan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lucy Allan on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to tackle cyber harassment.

    Karen Bradley

    Legislation is in place to deal with internet trolls, cyber-stalking and cyber harassment, and perpetrators of grossly offensive, obscene or menacing behaviour. Through the Criminal Justice Act 2015, we have strengthened two communications offences which can be used to prosecute misuse of social media: section 1 of the Malicious Communications Act 1988, and section 127 of the Communications Act 2003, giving the police longer to investigate either offence, and increasing the maximum penalty for the former to two years imprisonment.

    Through the UK Council for Child Internet Safety, we have brought together industry, law enforcement, academia, charities and parenting groups to work in partnership to help keep children and young people safe online.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many civil law suits have been brought against her Department based either wholly or partially on grounds provided by the Human Rights Act 1998; how many such suits were settled out of court before a court judgment was delivered; and how much such settlements have cost the public purse since 2010.

    Karen Bradley

    The Home Office deals with thousands of cases every year and litigants frequently rely on arguments based wholly or partly on the Human Rights Act 1998. In most cases, the 1998 Act is relied on in addition to other claims. The Government Legal Department’s records do not, historically, distinguish between cases where the 1998 Act is invoked and cases where it is not. Nor do they record how many suits were settled out of court before a judgment was delivered; or how much has been paid out in such settlements. Consequently, it is not possible to provide the information requested.

  • Jim Fitzpatrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Jim Fitzpatrick – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Attorney General, what the deadline is for criminal prosecutions to be brought by the Metropolitan Police against people implicated in electoral fraud in Tower Hamlets as a result of the Election Court rulings against former mayor Lutfur Rahman.

    Robert Buckland

    The time limit for bringing proceedings for a criminal offence depends on the court in which the case can be heard. Proceedings for those offences which can only be tried in the magistrates court must usually be brought within 6 months of the alleged offence being committed. There is not usually a time limit for those offences which can only be prosecuted in the Crown Court or which can be prosecuted in either the magistrates or Crown Court. There are exceptions in relation to individual offences.

  • Robert Neill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Robert Neill – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Neill on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of applications for Disclosure and Barring Service checks (a) nationally, (b) in London and (c) in Bromley and Chislehurst constituency met the published service standards for waiting times in the last 6 months.

    Karen Bradley

    The published service standards are to complete 85% of disclosure applications within 21 days and 95% within 56 days. The tables below show the proportion of applications which met the service standards a) nationally, b) in London and c) in Bromley and Chislehurst.

    A) Nationally

    Month

    % Completed within 21 Calendar Days

    % Completed within 56 Calendar Days

    Aug-15

    83.4%

    94.9%

    Sep-15

    87.3%

    95.1%

    Oct-15

    87.6%

    95.4%

    Nov-15

    86.3%

    94.5%

    Dec-15

    86.0%

    94.3%

    Jan-16

    85.8%

    93.9%

    Total

    86.1%

    94.7%

    B) London

    Month

    % Completed within 21 Calendar Days

    % Completed within 56 Calendar Days

    Aug-15

    83.5%

    86.7%

    Sep-15

    85.2%

    87.6%

    Oct-15

    85.7%

    88.1%

    Nov-15

    83.7%

    86.2%

    Dec-15

    80.8%

    85.5%

    Jan-16

    81.2%

    83.9%

    Total

    83.5%

    86.4%

    C) Bromley and Chislehurst

    Month

    % Completed within 21 Calendar Days

    % Completed within 56 Calendar Days

    Aug-15

    85.9%

    89.1%

    Sep-15

    86.5%

    89.7%

    Oct-15

    85.4%

    88.9%

    Nov-15

    86.5%

    89.5%

    Dec-15

    80.2%

    86.2%

    Jan-16

    84.7%

    87.7%

    Total

    84.9%

    88.6%
  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department has paid to staff in overtime in each of the last 24 months.

    Karen Bradley

    "Home Office overtime expenditure on overtime is published as part of the transparency data.

    Figures for January 2014 to December 2015 (the latest available month) can be found here:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/workforce-management-information-2015

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/workforce-management-information-2014

  • Helen Hayes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Helen Hayes – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Helen Hayes on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications to the Disclosure and Barring Service from people living in Dulwich and West Norwood constituency have taken more than 60 days to process in each of the last 12 months.

    Karen Bradley

    The table below shows the number of applications from people living in Dulwich and West Norwood that have taken more than 60 days in each of the last 12 months.

    Month

    Disclosures taking longer than 60 days

    Feb-15

    154

    Mar-15

    172

    Apr-15

    121

    May-15

    121

    Jun-15

    124

    Jul-15

    158

    Aug-15

    121

    Sep-15

    147

    Oct-15

    159

    Nov-15

    123

    Dec-15

    132

    Jan-16

    131

    Total

    1,663

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much her Department has paid to staff in overtime in each of the last 24 months.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    Overtime is only payable to staff below the Senior Civil Service and is used as a last resort to help deal with exceptional or seasonal pressures of work. The values for overtime paid in each of the last 24 months are recorded below.

    Month

    Overtime Paid

    Mar-14

    £ 47,739

    Apr-14

    £ 51,400

    May-14

    £ 22,598

    Jun-14

    £ 33,375

    Jul-14

    £ 29,992

    Aug-14

    £ 54,954

    Sep-14

    £ 26,462

    Oct-14

    £ 52,607

    Nov-14

    £ 41,797

    Dec-14

    £ 46,161

    Jan-15

    £ 34,508

    Feb-15

    £ 35,047

    Mar-15

    £ 49,281

    Apr-15

    £ 25,623

    May-15

    £ 29,731

    Jun-15

    £ 38,273

    Jul-15

    £ 38,207

    Aug-15

    £ 28,062

    Sep-15

    £ 19,252

    Oct-15

    £ 33,338

    Nov-15

    £ 27,689

    Dec-15

    £ 37,385

    Jan-16

    £ 13,732

    Feb-16

    £ 33,638

    Total

    £ 850,851

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many civil law suits have been brought against her Department based either wholly or partially on grounds provided by the Human Rights Act 1998; how many such suits were settled out of court before a court judgment was delivered; and how much such settlements have cost the public purse since 2010.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    None.

  • Ivan Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Ivan Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ivan Lewis on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of planned budget changes to her Department’s Afghanistan Project on economic security in that country.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    The UK remains committed to a long term partnership with Afghanistan, as I communicated to President Ghani when I visited in June 2015.

    It is worth noting that Afghanistan has made significant progress over the last decade, and the UK will continue our support to protect these hard-won gains. For example, UK support has helped ensure that more than 60% of the population now live within 2 hours walking distance of public health facilities, compared to only 9% in 2002. We have committed to spend £178m million in bilateral aid per year until at least 2017, and future commitments will be determined as part of the Bilateral Aid Review, due to be published shortly.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much her Department spent from the public purse on industrial tribunals in the last 12 months.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    In the last 12 month period DFID has spent £84.30 on Industrial Tribunals.