Blog

  • Mark Pritchard – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Mark Pritchard – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Pritchard on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to ban the wearing of masks at demonstrations in public spaces.

    Mike Penning

    Face coverings can be worn in public places for a variety of legitimate reasons and there are no plans to introduce a blanket ban at demonstrations or other public events. The police already have powers in relation to the wearing of face masks in public order situations under existing legislation.

    Section 60AA of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 allows a police officer in uniform, following an authorisation relating to a specified area for a specified time (up to 24 hours initially), to remove or seize anything that he or she considers is being, or could be, worn wholly or mainly for the purposes of concealing identity. This would include all types of face coverings.

  • Nigel Huddleston – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Nigel Huddleston – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Huddleston on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of further restrictions on the use and sale of fireworks.

    Anna Soubry

    Restrictions on the sale and use of fireworks already exist under the Fireworks Regulations 2004 and the Pyrotechnic Articles (Safety) Regulations 2015. The majority of people have a sensible and responsible attitude to fireworks and, on balance, I do not believe that further restrictions on their use would be necessary or proportionate.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many incidents of domestic violence were recorded in each county and constituent part of the UK in each of the last five years.

    Karen Bradley

    The Office for National Statistics publishes data on the number of domestic abuse incidents recorded by the police in England and Wales, at police force level in Focus on: Violent Crime and Sexual Offences 2013/14 – Appendix Table 4.08, available here: www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/crime-stats/crime-statistics/focus-on-violent-crime-and-sexual-offences–2013-14/index.html

    The increases seen in domestic abuse incidents recorded by the police over this time period is thought to reflect improvements in the identification and recording of these incidents by the police.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with Amnesty International and the Committee Against Torture on recent and proposed changes to the legislation on asylum seekers.

    James Brokenshire

    No legislation is planned in respect to asylum seekers.

    A number of changes to arrangements for supporting failed asylum seekers have been included in the Immigration Bill published on 17 September.

    Amnesty International sent a written response to the consultation on the proposals contained in the Immigration Bill and some of its representatives have met Home Office officials to discuss the proposals. The Committee Against Torture did not respond to the consultation and there have been no discussions on the proposals.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Gregory Campbell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will hold discussions with the government of the Irish Republic on the number of refugees likely to be settled in the Irish Republic who would be eligible to subsequently move to the UK.

    James Brokenshire

    There are no plans to hold discussions with the government of the Irish Republic on the number of refugees who would be eligible to subsequently move to the UK. Those recognised as refugees in the Republic of Ireland require a visa under the Immigration Rules to enter the UK.

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she expects to respond to the IPCC’s proposals on governance reform as set out in its Annual Report and statement of accounts 2014-15, HC 286.

    Mike Penning

    In August, the Home Secretary commissioned Sheila Drew Smith OBE of the Committee on Standards in Public Life to undertake an independent review of the governance proposals first set out in the IPCC’s response to the Home Office’s Triennial Report, which was published by the IPCC on 12 August 2015. The independent review will assess the fitness for purpose of the IPCC’s proposals, and will report to the Home Secretary before Christmas. After the conclusions of the independent review have been considered, the Government will announce the next steps.

  • Caroline Ansell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Caroline Ansell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Ansell on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to implement the family test; and if she will make a statement.

    James Brokenshire

    The Family Test was announced by the Prime Minister in August 2014 and introduced in October 2014. The Department for Work and Pensions published guidance for Departments and officials on how the test should be applied when formulating policy and the Home Office follows that guidance. The guidance can be found at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/368894/family-test-guidance.pdf

    The Family Test is also being integrated within the Department’s impact assessment process to ensure it is addressed consistently.

  • Nic Dakin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Nic Dakin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the reduction in the number of English language testing centres on the number of international students entering the UK; and if she will make a statement.

    James Brokenshire

    English language ability is a key strand of the immigration requirements for many of those coming as partners and to work, study and settle in the UK. Significant abuse within the English language testing sector was uncovered in 2013/2014, following which the Home Office commissioned an independent review. A key outcome was the need to develop new and robust business and commercial requirements for Secure English Language Testing (SELT). The Home Office has rightly responded to that abuse robustly, particularly considering that thousands of people sought to use evidence that was obtained fraudulently to enter and remain in the UK. The new, strengthened arrangements for SELT came into effect on 6th April 2015.

    One of the security changes introduced was the reduction of the test centre network to mitigate the risks of oversupply and enable the Home Office to achieve greater control and ability to audit centres.

    Whilst the Home Office has reduced the number of test centres, it has increased the number of countries where students could sit tests. Before the 6th April students could sit tests in 79 countries (excluding the UK), they can now sit tests in 129 countries.

    The Home Office has planned the reduced test centre network to meet anticipated demand and test centres in each country are currently meeting demand.

    We continue to have a highly competitive offer for international students who would like to study at our world-class institutions and this is borne out by the figures: visa applications from international students to study at British universities are up by 17 per cent since 2010, whilst visa applications to our world-leading Russell Group institutions are up by 33 per cent since 2010.

  • Kate Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Kate Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of her Department’s policies have been assessed against the family test; what steps she has taken to publish the outcome of such assessments; and if she will make a statement.

    James Brokenshire

    The Family Test was announced by the Prime Minister in August 2014 and introduced in October 2014. The DWP published guidance for Departments and officials on how the test should be applied when formulating policy and my Department follows that guidance.

    The guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/368894/family-test-guidance.pdf

    The Family Test is also being integrated within the Department’s impact assessment process to ensure it is consistently addressed. Recognising that all Government policies will impact on families in some way, the Government’s guidance on the Family Test is clear that policies should pass a threshold of proportionality before the Family Test is applied in full. New Home Office policies in the current Parliament have not met the threshold for applying the Family Test. The Family Test, when applied, will be published as part of the relevant impact assessment.

  • Kate Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Kate Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to implement the family test.

    James Brokenshire

    The Family Test was announced by the Prime Minister in August 2014 and introduced in October 2014. The DWP published guidance for Departments and officials on how the test should be applied when formulating policy and my Department follows that guidance.

    The guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/368894/family-test-guidance.pdf

    The Family Test is also being integrated within the Department’s impact assessment process to ensure it is consistently addressed. Recognising that all Government policies will impact on families in some way, the Government’s guidance on the Family Test is clear that policies should pass a threshold of proportionality before the Family Test is applied in full. New Home Office policies in the current Parliament have not met the threshold for applying the Family Test. The Family Test, when applied, will be published as part of the relevant impact assessment.