Tag: Jack Dromey

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jack Dromey on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how the Government plans to use regulatory powers to ensure that an adequate broadband service is provided.

Matt Hancock

The Government is creating a regulatory environment that supports the market in delivering world-class broadband services and has taken a number of steps to support this aim. As part of the Digital Economy Bill, we are introducing a broadband Universal Service Obligation to be implemented by 2020. This will give everyone the legal right to broadband at a minimum speed of 10 Mbps.

We are reforming the Electronic Communications Code to cut costs and simplify the process of building mobile and broadband infrastructure on private land. We are making permanent the relaxations in the rules for deploying fixed broadband infrastructure in all areas except Sites of Special Scientific Interest that we introduced in 2013. This will also cut deployment costs for communications providers and speed up broadband roll-out. Similar planning relaxations are being made in relation to the deployment of mobile infrastructure.

As of 31 July this year, the Communications (Access to Infrastructure) Regulations 2016 gave rights to Communications Providers to share passive infrastructure across utility, transport and communications sectors which is designed to reduce the cost of broadband deployment.

In addition, building regulations have also been amended to introduce a requirement from January 2017 for all new buildings, and major renovations, to include in-building physical infrastructure to support superfast broadband connectivity. The Government has also put in place industry agreements with developers for fibre connections to be made available to all new build housing.

The Government continues to review the regulatory landscape to identify further opportunities for reform.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jack Dromey on 2015-12-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much of the Police Innovation Fund was allocated to police forces in financial years (a) 2014-15 and (b) 2015-16.

Mike Penning

The Police Innovation Fund 2014/15 allocated £53m to Police and Crime Commissioners (and their equivalents) in 2014/15 and 2015/16. The Police Innovation Fund 2015/16 allocated over £71m to Police and Crime Commissioners (and their equivalents) in 2015/16 and 2016/17.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jack Dromey on 2016-04-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential effect on the ratio of firearms instructors to police officers of the Government’s policy to train an extra 1,500 firearms officers by April 2018.

Mr John Hayes

At the Spending Review in December 2015, the Chancellor announced a major investment of £143 million to uplift armed policing capacity to respond more quickly and effectively to a marauding firearms attack.

The police have been working to allocate that spending to ensure maximum effect and are arranging for sufficient instructors and training places to be in place.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jack Dromey on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times the UK Football Policing Unit has requested information from other EU member states on football banning orders and other data relevant to the safe policing of football matches in each of the last 10 years.

Mike Penning

This information is not held. The UK National Football Information Point within the UK Football Policing Unit exchanges information relevant to the safe policing of football matches with National Football Information Points in other EU countries, whenever UK national and club teams play against national or club teams from other EU member states.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jack Dromey on 2016-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will take steps to ensure that the rights of part-time and agency workers will be (a) protected in the long-term and (b) retained in primary legislation.

Margot James

As a Government, we have been clear that we will do nothing to undermine workers’ rights. All law in this area at the time of exit will be brought under UK law as part of the Great Repeal Bill, ensuring continuity.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jack Dromey on 2015-12-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential effect on police workloads of planned reductions in local authority funding on (a) emergency planning, (b) vulnerability strategies, (c) youth offending services, (d) anti-social behaviour strategies and (e) community safety strategies.

Karen Bradley

Funding for local authorities in England is a matter for the Department for Communities and Local Government. Funding for local authorities in Wales is a matter for the Welsh Government.

It is for local authorities to decide how they spend their budgets on these and other issues. Many local authorities already understand the value of working closely with Police and Crime Commissioners and are best placed to make the right decisions for their communities locally.

PCCs have a duty under the provisions of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act to work with local authorities in their respective police force areas.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jack Dromey on 2016-04-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Office of 24 March 2016, Official Report, column 209, on the Policing and Crime Bill, how her Department defines warranted in the context of warranted officers; and what assessment she has made of whether Clause 28 of the Policing and Crime Bill would give warranted powers to staff and volunteers.

Mike Penning

In the context of warranted officers and in relation to the Policing and Crime Bill, “warranted” means attested as a constable. The Bill sets out a series of reforms, endorsed in a public consultation, that will enhance the powers of chief police officers to designate police staff and volunteers with a broad range of powers or duties, other than those core powers that will be available only to constables. In making this distinction, we are underlining the central place of the constable in policing.

These reforms will free up police officers to concentrate on the core policing tasks that most require their particular powers and experience, while enabling chief police officers to deploy a flexible and balanced workforce with the appropriate mix of skills and experience to keep our communities safe. We know there is demand from forces to introduce these volunteer roles – Lincolnshire, for example, have already recruited and trained volunteer Police Community Support Officers, who are waiting for this Bill to pass so they can be given powers appropriate to their roles and training.

If it is acceptable to confer all the powers of a constable on one type of volunteer, namely special constables, it is inconsistent to object in principle to conferring a narrower set of powers on other suitably trained volunteers. Chief officers are best placed to decide how to shape their workforce to meet local need and the reforms in the Bill enable them to do just that.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jack Dromey on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police, emergency responders and other security and military personnel have been deployed from other EU member states to respond to emergencies and other security threats in the UK in each of the last 10 years.

Mr John Hayes

The information requested is not held centrally by the Home Office.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jack Dromey on 2016-10-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to ensure that all health and safety regulations will be (a) protected in the long-term and (b) retained in legislation after the UK leaves the EU.

Penny Mordaunt

As a Government, we have been clear that we will do nothing to undermine workers’ rights. The United Kingdom has one of the best records on occupational safety and health in Europe and the wider world and the Government intends to keep it that way. Health and safety regulations are secondary legislation under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Government has no plans to change this.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jack Dromey on 2015-12-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many staff have been employed in (a) the National Crime Agency’s National Cyber Crime Unit and (b) each of the nine Regional Organised Crime Units for each year from 2010 to date.

Mr John Hayes

Regional Organised Crime Units (ROCUs) provide capability to investigate serious and organised crime across police force boundaries, including but not limited to, cyber crime. At the end of September 2015, there were 1,626 full-time equivalent staff employed by forces in the nine Regional Organised Crime Units (ROCUs), excluding London.

These figures have only been centrally collected by the police, and shared with the Home Office, since the beginning of this financial year. Details on the number of staff employed in individual ROCUs are operationally sensitive and have therefore not been provided. The most recent figures for the number of National Crime Agency (NCA) officers employed in the National Cyber Crime Unit will be available in the National Crime Agency’s Remuneration Review Body evidence to be published on the NCA’s website shortly.