Asked by: Baroness Clark of Kilwinning (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the cancellation of organised fireworks displays this year, what steps they are taking (1) to ensure bonfire night safety, and (2) to prevent firework related injuries.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
The Government is taking action to promote the safe and considerate use of fireworks through a public awareness campaign which was launched on 20th October. The campaign includes messaging for consumers on how to buy, store, use and dispose of fireworks safely.
Fire and rescue authorities were provided with materials, through the Home Office Fire Kills campaign, to support this Government campaign and deliver firework safety messages locally.
More information on the Government’s Firework Safety campaign is available on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/opss-launches-firework-safety-campaign
Asked by: Baroness Clark of Kilwinning (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what regulatory safeguards are in place to protect agency workers from trafficking; if she will review the effectiveness of those safeguards; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Karen Bradley
The Government is committed to stamping out modern slavery in all its forms including labour exploitation involving agency workers.
The Gangmasters Licensing Authority’s transfer to the Home Office will improve its collaboration with policing agencies for its enforcement activities and maximise the contribution it makes to tackling exploitation of workers.
The Modern Slavery Bill will give law enforcement the tools to tackle modern slavery by increasing the maximum sentence available for offenders to life imprisonment; creating an independent Anti-slavery Commissioner to drive improvements and a better coordinated law enforcement response, working in the interests of victims; strengthening powers to recover the sizeable profits that traffickers and slave masters make from this appalling crime; introducing vital new tools to restrict the activity of criminals who have been convicted of modern slavery offences; and providing powers to enable police and Border Force to act where it is suspected that human trafficking or forced labour is taking place on board vessels at sea.
To complement the Bill, the Government has a comprehensive programme of action to tackle modern slavery. This includes publishing a Modern Slavery Strategy which sets out the Government’s comprehensive approach to tackling modern slavery and the contributions we expect from other Government departments, agencies and partners.
Asked by: Baroness Clark of Kilwinning (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to address the current backlog of applications within the Passport Office.
Answered by James Brokenshire
On 12 June, my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Home Secretary set out to the House the
measures HM Passport Office is putting in place to respond to the exceptional
current levels of passport demand.
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer of 12 June 2014, Official Report, columns
693 and 694 for details.
Asked by: Baroness Clark of Kilwinning (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many passport (a) applications and (b) renewal applications were received by the Passport Office in each (i) month and (ii) year of the last five years.
Answered by James Brokenshire
The following table provides the requested information.
Asked by: Baroness Clark of Kilwinning (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) services and (b) jobs within the Passport Office were transferred to the private sector in the last five years; and when those transfers took place.
Answered by James Brokenshire
No jobs have been transferred from Her Majesty's Passport Office to the private
sector in the last five years.