Tag: Steve McCabe

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2015-10-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will introduce legislative proposals to amend existing fly tipping offences to make it possible to attribute group responsibility or culpability to ensure local authorities can take enforcement action when illegal encampments fly tip on public land.

Rory Stewart

Tackling fly-tipping is a priority for the Government. Our manifesto sets out our plans to give councils the power to issue fixed penalty notices for small-scale fly-tipping, as well as reviewing the existing fixed penalty notices for littering.

These steps will build on other action we have taken, including working with the Sentencing Council to strengthen its Guideline for sentencing for environmental offences, which came into force on 1 July last year; making it easier for vehicles suspected of being involved in waste crime to be stopped, searched and seized; and continuing working in partnership with others through the Defra-chaired National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group to promote and disseminate good practice in the prevention, reporting, investigation and clearance of fly-tipped waste.

Local Authorities already have enforcement powers to prosecute individuals who transport and dispose of waste illegally. There are no plans to amend fly-tipping offences to attribute group responsibility or culpability.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2015-10-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what priority is being given to abandoned and orphaned children in the selection of Syrian refugees likely to be offered a new home in the UK.

Richard Harrington

The Syrian VPR is based on need. It prioritises those who cannot be supported effectively in their region of origin. We work closely with the UNHCR to identify cases that they deem in need of resettlement and we will continue this work to ensure we deliver our commitment to provide refuge to 20,000 Syrians.

The UNHCR identifies people in need of resettlement based on the following criteria: women and girls at risk; survivors of violence and/or torture; refugees with legal and/or physical protection needs; refugees with medical needs or disabilities; children and adolescents at risk; persons at risk due to their sexual orientation or gender identity; and refugees with family links in resettlement countries.

We are not expecting the refugees arriving in the first months of the scheme to include unaccompanied children.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2015-10-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she expects the first Syrian refugees rescued from camps in the Middle East to arrive in the UK.

Richard Harrington

The Government will expand the existing Syrian Vulnerable Person Scheme and intends to resettle 20,000 Syrians in need of protection during this Parliament.

We can confirm that additional numbers of people have arrived as we expand the scheme following the Prime Minister’s announcement. However, we will not be giving a running commentary on numbers.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-06-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what meetings Ministers in his Department have had on the outsourcing of local authority children’s services since May 2010.

Mr Edward Timpson

Through its Children’s Social Care Innovation Programme the Government is supporting local authorities to take new approaches to maximise the capacity and skills brought to bear in improving services for the most vulnerable children. Part of that work involves giving local authorities greater freedom to test new delivery models and harness external ideas and expertise by allowing them to delegate children’s social care functions to external providers.

Ministers have regular internal and external meetings to discuss this policy in particular and approaches to delivering children’s social care more widely.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2015-02-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department has issued on the use of reasonable force in the execution of a search warrant.

Mike Penning

The Police and Criminal Evidence Act Code of Practice B governs the searching of premises and the seizure of property from those premises by police officers. This includes the conduct of officers executing a search warrant (see paragraphs 6 to 6.15) and a note on compensation matters (see note 6.A). A copy of the PACE Code of Practice B can be found at GOV.UK.

The execution of a search warrant is an operational matter for the Chief Constable of the force concerned and so too is the consideration of damage claims which, as PACE Code B makes clear, will depend on the circumstances in each case.

The Department does not hold or collect data concerning the number of awards of damages paid out by police forces.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-06-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has contributed funds to assist local authorities in the payment of external contractors to deliver childcare services excluding fostering and adoption.

Mr Edward Timpson

Through its Children’s Social Care Innovation Programme, the Government is supporting local authorities to take new approaches to maximise the capacity and skills brought to bear in improving services for the most vulnerable children. Part of that work involves giving local authorities greater freedom to test new delivery models and harness external ideas and expertise by allowing them to delegate children’s social care functions to external providers.

In November 2013 we gave all local authorities the power to operate in this manner. So far five providers have registered with Ofsted as performing these functions on behalf of local authorities.

Local authorities also make widespread use of contractors in the provision of children’s services such as residential care and foster care.

The Government does not collect data on local authority spend on external contracts.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2015-02-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many awards of damages have been awarded in respect of cases in which police officers from each police force caused substantial damage during the execution of a police raid or warrant in each of the last five years.

Mike Penning

The Police and Criminal Evidence Act Code of Practice B governs the searching of premises and the seizure of property from those premises by police officers. This includes the conduct of officers executing a search warrant (see paragraphs 6 to 6.15) and a note on compensation matters (see note 6.A). A copy of the PACE Code of Practice B can be found at GOV.UK.

The execution of a search warrant is an operational matter for the Chief Constable of the force concerned and so too is the consideration of damage claims which, as PACE Code B makes clear, will depend on the circumstances in each case.

The Department does not hold or collect data concerning the number of awards of damages paid out by police forces.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-06-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much local authorities have spent on external contractors employed to deliver childcare services, excluding fostering and adoption in (a) 2014 to date and (b) each of the last three years.

Mr Edward Timpson

Through its Children’s Social Care Innovation Programme, the Government is supporting local authorities to take new approaches to maximise the capacity and skills brought to bear in improving services for the most vulnerable children. Part of that work involves giving local authorities greater freedom to test new delivery models and harness external ideas and expertise by allowing them to delegate children’s social care functions to external providers.

In November 2013 we gave all local authorities the power to operate in this manner. So far five providers have registered with Ofsted as performing these functions on behalf of local authorities.

Local authorities also make widespread use of contractors in the provision of children’s services such as residential care and foster care.

The Government does not collect data on local authority spend on external contracts.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-07-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department takes to promote the use of IT facilities in public libraries by participants in the Work Programme for job search and preparation; and if he will make a statement.

Esther McVey

Work Programme providers have flexibility to innovate and to design support that addresses the needs of individuals and the local labour market, rather than having to follow one size fits all processes. It is at the discretion of providers whether they choose to advise individuals to use any particular public facilities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2014-06-25.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people working (a) at No. 10 Downing Street and (b) on the Prime Minister’s staff since May 2010 have not been required to undergo security vetting; how many such staff have undergone security vetting; and what the job titles and responsibilities are of all such staff.

Mr Francis Maude

Attendance at internal meetings is not normally disclosed.

It has been the policy of successive governments not to comment about staff subject to national security vetting.