Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the (a) projected budget is and (b) cost to date has been of his Department's Desistance and Disengagement programme (i) in the trial period of that programme and (ii) since that programme has been fully rolled out.
Answered by Ben Wallace
The Desistance and Disengagement Programme (DDP) launched in October 2016. It focusses on those who have served prison sentences for terrorist or terrorist related offences and are due to be released on probation licence; those on Terrorism Prevention Investigation Measures (TPIMs): and those who have returned from conflict zones in Syria or Iraq and are subject to Temporary Exclusion Orders (TEOs).
We are committed to publishing data where security requirements allow and will continue to publish an annual report on our counter-terrorism work under CONTEST. We do not provide detailed information about the funding allocation of DDP activity.
The Home Office delivers the DDP in conjunction with non-governmental organisations and experienced practitioners. Due to the sensitive nature of this important work, we do not release details of individuals and organisations selected to support the programme or the terms on which they have been contracted.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which external organisations have been contracted to help deliver his Department's Desistance and Disengagement programme; and if he will publish the terms under which those organisations have been so contracted.
Answered by Ben Wallace
The Desistance and Disengagement Programme (DDP) launched in October 2016. It focusses on those who have served prison sentences for terrorist or terrorist related offences and are due to be released on probation licence; those on Terrorism Prevention Investigation Measures (TPIMs): and those who have returned from conflict zones in Syria or Iraq and are subject to Temporary Exclusion Orders (TEOs).
We are committed to publishing data where security requirements allow and will continue to publish an annual report on our counter-terrorism work under CONTEST. We do not provide detailed information about the funding allocation of DDP activity.
The Home Office delivers the DDP in conjunction with non-governmental organisations and experienced practitioners. Due to the sensitive nature of this important work, we do not release details of individuals and organisations selected to support the programme or the terms on which they have been contracted.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many UK nationals have returned to the UK after being deported from other countries on suspicion of terror offences by country of deportation in each of the last five years.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The UK government does not hold a complete data set relating to individuals deported to the UK, broken down in this way, since UK nationals are not as a matter of course subject to immigration controls on arrival. In addition, not all countries will disclose that they are deporting an individual to the UK or that that there is a terrorism concern relating to them.
The UK has developed close partnerships with countries which are a priority for joint work on international counter-terrorism in order to manage the risk to the UK from terrorism. Data on the use of tools and powers available to manage the threat to the UK from individuals suspected of involvement in terrorism, including managing their return to the UK, are due for publication shortly in the annual Government Transparency Report on Disruptive and Investigatory Powers.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the letter from the Minister of State for Immigration to the Chair of the Home Affairs Committee of 21 June 2018, reference DEP2018/0611, how many of the 204 Judicial Review challenges under paragraph 322(5) of the Immigration Act were settled out of court by his Department; and how many of the 223 appeals under paragraph 322(5) of the Immigration Act,has his Department settled out of court.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
As stated in the letter, we will provide further information in relation to legal challenges in our final report to the Home Affairs Select Committee.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of the applications to overturn decisions made under 322 (5) of the Immigration Rules at judicial review have (a) been successful (c) been settled out of court and (c) remain outstanding.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
Paragraph 322(5) applies across many categories of the Immigration Rules. This information could only be obtained through a manual trawl of individual case records at disproportionate cost.
Such a manual trawl is, however, being carried out for Tier 1 (General) migrants who have been refused under paragraph 322(5), as part of the current review of these cases. This work is ongoing. We will report our findings to the Home Affairs Select Committee once the review is complete.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps is the Government taking to (a) prepare for the potential return to and (b) manage the potential threat in the UK of people who were radicalised in this country, fought with Daesh in Syria, have been held captive by the Syrian Democratic Forces and may now be handed back to Daesh where they will continue to face radicalisation and violence.
Answered by Ben Wallace
Many of the most dangerous individuals who left Britain to engage in the conflict in Syria and Iraq remain overseas. Everyone who returns from taking part in the conflict in Syria or Iraq must expect to be investigated by the police to determine if they have committed criminal offences, and to ensure that they do not pose a threat to our national security.
Where there is evidence that crimes have been committed, those responsible should expect to be prosecuted. However any decision on whether to prosecute will be taken by the police and Crown Prosecution Service on a case by case basis. In addition to seeking prosecution of terrorism suspects we use a range of tools to manage the threat posed by returners - including imposing travel restrictions for individuals subject to Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures and using Temporary Exclusion Orders to place in-country conditions upon return, including regular reporting to a police station.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people with links to the UK who travelled to engage in the recent conflict in Syria and Iraq have been classified as not being a security concern.
Answered by Ben Wallace
Over 850 UK-linked individuals of national security concern travelled to engage with the conflict in Syria and Iraq. We estimate that over 15 percent of those who travelled have been killed in fighting in the region and just under half have returned to the UK. Anybody who does return will be investigated by the police to determine if they have committed criminal offences or pose a risk to national security. Those who travelled to, or remained in Syria or Iraq from 2014 are more likely to be a current national security concern than those who travelled and returned before then. While it would not be appropriate to provide a breakdown of the investigation status of travellers or returners, a significant proportion of those individuals who have already returned fall into the latter category and have been assessed as posing little or no national security concern.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the 2017 Annual Report of the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation will be published.
Answered by Ben Wallace
The Government has received the report of the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation on the Terrorism Acts in 2016 and will publish it in due course. The Independent Reviewer’s report covering 2017 has not yet been written.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on referrals of foreign terrorist fighters to the Prevent programme; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Ben Wallace
Data regarding individuals referred to Prevent in 2015/16 was published on 9 November 2017. Similar data relating to 2016/17 will be published this year. This includes the number of individuals referred due to concerns related to Islamist extremism and right wing extremism. However, the data does not state whether the individual is a ‘foreign terrorist fighter’. The 2015/16 data can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/662824/individuals-referred-supported-prevent-programme-apr2015-mar2016.pdf
Prevent safeguards people who are vulnerable to radicalisation in a similar way to safeguarding processes designed to protect people from gangs, drug abuse, and physical and sexual abuse.
Everyone who returns from taking part in the conflict in Syria or Iraq must expect to be investigated by the police to determine if they have committed criminal offences, and to ensure that they do not pose a threat to our national security. Those who have committed criminal offences should expect to be prosecuted for their crimes under the full range of existing counter terrorism legislation. However any decision on whether to prosecute will be taken by the police and Crown Prosecution Service on a case by case basis.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will publish statistics on arrests relating to foreign terrorist fighters in Iraq and Syria and support for Daesh.
Answered by Ben Wallace
The Home Office Statistical Bulletin publishes data about convictions quarterly but does not distinguish those which relate to Syria and Iraq and Daesh. British Citizens who are investigated and charged with offences relating to the conflict in Syria and Iraq will be prosecuted in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors.
Although official figures do not show how many were Syria or Iraq or Daesh related, of the 97 persons charged with a terrorism-related offence in the year ending September 2017, 30 had been prosecuted (as at the time of data provision to the Home Office, 06 November 2017), 30 of which were found guilty. A further 65 were awaiting prosecution.