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  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Richard Burden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Burden on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the Government’s policy is on where unsuccessful asylum applicants from North Korea are deported to.

    James Brokenshire

    Unsuccessful North Korean asylum seekers will normally be removed to South Korea. As with any other nationality, all asylum and human rights applications from North Korean nationals are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with our international obligations and against the background of the latest available country of origin information from a wide range of well-recognised sources.

    The Constitution of Republic of Korea (South Korea) stipulates that all North Koreans are citizens of the Republic of Korea. As citizens of South Korea, North Korean asylum seekers are able to seek the protection of the South Korean authorities.

    Any application for asylum owing to a fear of persecution in North Korea is, therefore, likely to fall for refusal on the basis that (i) the applicant will not be removed to North Korea. The applicant could be returned to South Korea which is not a country where they have a well founded fear of persecution; and/or (ii) the applicant could reasonably be expected to avail himself of the protection of South Korea, where they could assert citizenship.

  • Ivan Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Ivan Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police forces in England operate a neighbourhood policing model.

    Mike Penning

    How neighbourhood policing is delivered, its priorities, and the specific model that is used, are decisions for Chief Constables in conjunction with their democratically accountable Police and Crime Commissioners. This Government believes in local policing, accountable to local communities. That is why we abolished all central Government targets and put local people in charge by introducing directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners.

  • Ivan Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Ivan Lewis – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to reduce the level of violent crime in Greater Manchester.

    Mr John Hayes

    The independent Crime Survey for England and Wales shows that in the year ending September 2015 violent crime was 25% lower than in June 2010 and shows no significant change compared to the previous year (September 2014). Knife crime offences recorded by the police also remain 14% below the level of offences in 2010.

    Ending gang violence and exploitation is a priority for the Government and on 13 January 2016 we published a paper setting out our refreshed approach. This has a twin focus concerned with both reducing violence, including knife crime, and protecting vulnerable individuals from exploitation by gangs. We are taking a number of steps to reduce violent crime including supporting proactive policing on knife crime and working with retailers to promote the responsible sales of knives.

    In addition, as part of the Government’s Serious and Organised Crime Strategy, we are funding Greater Manchester Police to deliver a project that aims to identify individuals at risk of becoming engaged in serious and organised crime and offering them an alternative path through a series of potential interventions.

  • Douglas Carswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Douglas Carswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Prime Minister’s Oral Statement of 22 February 2016, Official Report, column 35, on the European Council, whether her Department is undertaking planning in the eventuality of a majority leave vote in the EU referendum.

    James Brokenshire

    At the February European Council, the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government’s position, as set out by the Prime Minister to the House on 22 February, is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.

  • 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 spent from the public purse on industrial tribunals in the last 12 months.

    Karen Bradley

    The cost of Employment Tribunals can be found within the HM Courts & Tribunals Service annual accounts published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/433948/hmcts-annual-report-accounts-2014-15.pdf .

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the rate of pay is for cleaners in her Department.

    Karen Bradley

    Cleaning services across the Department are outsourced and suppliers currently pay as a minimum the National Minimum Wage. From the 1 April 2016 suppliers will pay as a minimum the National Living Wage for over 25 year olds.

  • 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 (a) publications, (b) consultation documents and (c) circulars her Department has issued since August 2012; and what the title was of each such publication, consultation document or circular.

    Karen Bradley

    The Home Office has issued 3,218 publications, 93 consultations and 79 circulars since August 2012. All are published on Gov.UK.

  • 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 consultants’ contracts were terminated early in each of the last six years for which figures are available; and what the cost of each such termination was in each of those years.

    Karen Bradley

    The Home Department procures consultancy as a service against deliverables and outputs and not in terms of individuals. The Home Department has not terminated any consultancy service engagements early in any of the last six years and therefore has not incurred any such costs.