Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have begun to work with airports and the air freight industry to develop a long-term plan for the Border Force to deal with the growth in demand for passenger and freight flights post-Brexit; and if so, when they plan to publish such a plan.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Government is committed to developing a border which utilises technology and automation, and better balances security and prosperity. The Government will continue to work closely with airports and other relevant parties within the industry to understand their concerns and address them as well as to create opportunities. Border Force has established a dedicated Industry Partnerships team for such engagement.
As part of our preparations Border Force is recruiting 300 frontline officers to allow existing staff to be trained in new requirements ahead of EU Exit. This is separate from the recruitment of up to 1,000 Border Force officers, which is to meet a range of business needs, including allowing Border Force to respond flexibly to emerging requirements.
While we cannot comment on detailed EU Exit planning, Government departments are working together across a range of complex issues to develop our future approach at the border. These options will be kept under review in light of negotiations with the EU.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the 300 additional Border Force staff they announced were to be recruited to relieve existing staff for training for post Brexit demands are in addition to the other announced increase of 1,000 new Border Force staff.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
As part of our preparations Border Force is recruiting 300 frontline officers to allow existing staff to be trained in new requirements ahead of EU Exit.
This is separate from the recruitment of up to 1,000 Border Force officers, which is to meet a range of business needs, including meeting the normal staff turnover associated with a large operational business such as Border Force. It will also support Border Force to respond flexibly to emerging requirements, including any future requirements as a result of EU Exit.
Operational units across the Home Office actively monitor workflows to ensure sufficient resources are in place to meet demand and will continue to do so throughout negotiations and as the UK leaves the EU.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recommendation by the House of Lords Licensing Act 2003 Committee that the “designation of airports as international airports for the purposes of section 173 of the Licensing act 2003 should be revoked".
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Government has noted the Select Committee’s recommendation that the designation of airports as international airports for the purposes of section 173 of the Licensing Act 2003 should be revoked. The Government will publish its response in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government which criminal offences have been introduced by secondary legislation in the last 30 years.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Home Office does not keep central records of criminal offences introduced by secondary legislation in the last thirty years and to research this statistic would incur a disproportionate cost to the public purse.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what meetings Home Office (1) ministers, and (2) officials, have held with representatives of the transport sector in respect of the movement of EU citizens after the UK’s exit from the EU.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Government is considering a range of options for the immigration system for EU citizens after the UK leaves the EU. Since the Referendum result last year, Ministers have been undertaking an extensive programme of engagement and evidence gathering with all interested parties including business, industry, transport, trade unions, educational institutions and many others in the coming months. On 27 July, my RHF the Home Secretary also commissioned the independent Migration Advisory Committee to advise on current patterns of EU migration across all sectors, and the role of migration in the wider economy and society.
The Government will be setting out initial proposals for a new immigration system in the Migration White Paper later in the autumn. We will carry out further engagement with stakeholders once our proposals have been published.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response to the report of the Drugs, Alcohol and Justice Cross-Party Parliamentary Group’s Charter for Change, published in September.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Government has noted the recommendations in the report. In July, the Government published a comprehensive new Drug Strategy which aims to reduce drug misuse and increase the numbers recovering from dependence.
The new Drug Strategy sets out a range of actions, to be taken forward at national and local level, that respond to the evolving threats and challenges that continue to emerge from drug misuse. These include changing drugs markets, changing patterns of use and an ageing and more complex group of people who need wide-ranging support to recover.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will seek the UK's continued participation in those parts of the Schengen <i>acquis</i> relating to police and judicial co-operation in criminal matters to which the UK has been party since 2002 following the UK's withdrawal from the EU.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Prime Minister has made clear that law enforcement cooperation with our European partners will continue after the UK leaves the EU and we will do what is necessary to keep our people safe.
We are exploring options for cooperation arrangements once the UK has left the EU but it would be wrong to set out unilateral positions on specific measures in advance of negotiations.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will seek (1) observer status on Europol's Management Board, and (2) access to the Europol database, following the UK's withdrawal from the EU.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Prime Minister has made clear that law enforcement cooperation with our European partners will continue after the UK leaves the EU and we will do what is necessary to keep our people safe.
We are exploring options for cooperation arrangements once the UK has left the EU but it would be wrong to set out unilateral positions on specific measures in advance of negotiations.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will seek the UK's continued participation in the European Investigation Orders in Criminal Matters Directive 2014/41/EU following the UK's withdrawal from the EU.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Prime Minister has made clear that law enforcement cooperation with our European partners will continue after the UK leaves the EU and we will do what is necessary to keep our people safe.
We are exploring options for cooperation arrangements once the UK has left the EU but it would be wrong to set out unilateral positions on specific measures in advance of negotiations.
Asked by: Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will seek the UK's continued participation in the European Arrest Warrant following the UK's withdrawal from the EU.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Prime Minister has made clear that law enforcement cooperation with our European partners will continue after the UK leaves the EU and we will do what is necessary to keep our people safe.
We are exploring options for cooperation arrangements once the UK has left the EU but it would be wrong to set out unilateral positions on specific measures in advance of negotiations.