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 six Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures in force as of 31 August 2017 have been imposed on (a) British nationals suspected of service as foreign terrorist fighters in Iraq or Syria and (b) foreign nationals suspected of supporting Daesh or other Islamist groups.
Answered by Ben Wallace
We do not comment on the circumstances of individuals who are subject to a TPIM notice.
The last Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Written Ministerial Statement (published on 18 January 2018) confirmed that there are currently seven TPIM notices in force as of 30 November 2017.
TPIM notices are subject to an automatic High Court review of the necessity and proportionality of the TPIM and associated measures. The High Court has considered and published judgments on five of the current seven TPIM notices, these judgments will provide some of the information that you have requested. These judgments can be found at the following links:
http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Admin/2017/795.html
http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Admin/2017/1529.html
http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Admin/2017/2685.html
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 who have taken part in the conflicts in Syria and Iraq have been charged with terrorist or other criminal offences relating to their activities in Syria or Iraq after their return to the UK; and how many of those prosecutions have been successful.
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.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what restrictions Operation Constrain places on (a) the communication with each other, (b) travel around the UK and to other countries, (c) activities conducted online and (d) other forms of interaction with previous networks within the UK of returning Daesh fighters.
Answered by Ben Wallace
The Government is committed to doing everything possible to protect our communities from the threat of terrorism. To respond to this threat, it is vital that we use all the means at our collective disposal to divert people away from terrorist activity, and we are exploring the best ways of doing this with our partners.
Where there is evidence someone has committed an offence they will be prosecuted accordingly. This is a decision for the Crown Prosecution Service. An increase in the number of people facing charges does not affect the threshold for prosecution.
We are a reviewing our counter terrorism strategy to make sure we respond to the evolving threat in the most effective way we can, both now and in the future. We engage closely with counter terrorism partners across the world, including sharing capabilities and experience in order to keep the public safe.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the threshold of evidence is for prosecutions against returning Daesh fighters under Operation Constrain; and whether that threshold has been changed in anticipation of an expected increase in the number of such people returning to the UK.
Answered by Ben Wallace
The Government is committed to doing everything possible to protect our communities from the threat of terrorism. To respond to this threat, it is vital that we use all the means at our collective disposal to divert people away from terrorist activity, and we are exploring the best ways of doing this with our partners.
Where there is evidence someone has committed an offence they will be prosecuted accordingly. This is a decision for the Crown Prosecution Service. An increase in the number of people facing charges does not affect the threshold for prosecution.
We are a reviewing our counter terrorism strategy to make sure we respond to the evolving threat in the most effective way we can, both now and in the future. We engage closely with counter terrorism partners across the world, including sharing capabilities and experience in order to keep the public safe.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the budget is for Operation Constrain.
Answered by Ben Wallace
The Government is committed to doing everything possible to protect our communities from the threat of terrorism. To respond to this threat, it is vital that we use all the means at our collective disposal to divert people away from terrorist activity, and we are exploring the best ways of doing this with our partners.
Where there is evidence someone has committed an offence they will be prosecuted accordingly. This is a decision for the Crown Prosecution Service. An increase in the number of people facing charges does not affect the threshold for prosecution.
We are a reviewing our counter terrorism strategy to make sure we respond to the evolving threat in the most effective way we can, both now and in the future. We engage closely with counter terrorism partners across the world, including sharing capabilities and experience in order to keep the public safe.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether people returning from Syria and Iraq who fall within the scope of Operation Constrain are permitted to return to the communities in the UK which they left to travel to the Middle East.
Answered by Ben Wallace
The Government is committed to doing everything possible to protect our communities from the threat of terrorism. To respond to this threat, it is vital that we use all the means at our collective disposal to divert people away from terrorist activity, and we are exploring the best ways of doing this with our partners.
Where there is evidence someone has committed an offence they will be prosecuted accordingly. This is a decision for the Crown Prosecution Service. An increase in the number of people facing charges does not affect the threshold for prosecution.
We are a reviewing our counter terrorism strategy to make sure we respond to the evolving threat in the most effective way we can, both now and in the future. We engage closely with counter terrorism partners across the world, including sharing capabilities and experience in order to keep the public safe.
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 programmes similar to Operation Constrain in other countries; what discussions she has had with her counterparts in other countries on managing the return of Daesh fighters to their countries; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Ben Wallace
The Government is committed to doing everything possible to protect our communities from the threat of terrorism. To respond to this threat, it is vital that we use all the means at our collective disposal to divert people away from terrorist activity, and we are exploring the best ways of doing this with our partners.
Where there is evidence someone has committed an offence they will be prosecuted accordingly. This is a decision for the Crown Prosecution Service. An increase in the number of people facing charges does not affect the threshold for prosecution.
We are a reviewing our counter terrorism strategy to make sure we respond to the evolving threat in the most effective way we can, both now and in the future. We engage closely with counter terrorism partners across the world, including sharing capabilities and experience in order to keep the public safe.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is her policy that police and crime commissioners be made aware of all Independent Police Complaints Commission investigations into appointments of chief constables and acting chief constables.
Answered by Mike Penning
It is a matter for police and crime commissioners to satisfy themselves that all pertinent facts are taken into consideration when appointing a chief constable. During any period when the chief constable is unable to exercise his or her duties, the current deputy chief constable is required to perform the functions of the chief constable.
The Police Reform Act 2002 sets out the requirements on the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) to provide information about its investigations, including outcomes, to complainants and other parties. For investigations into matters relating chief constables, these requirements extend to Police and Crime Commissioners where they are the appropriate authority. The IPCC publishes its investigation reports subject to a harm test, including consideration of the risk of prejudicing any coronial, criminal or disciplinary proceedings. The IPCC is required by law to publish any learning recommendations it makes.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average waiting time is for receiving a new passport following an application.
Answered by James Brokenshire
In May 2015, the average time taken for the processing and delivery of a passport from the United Kingdom was 5 days. The calculation is based on receipt of a fully and accurately completed application form and includes an estimated two days for delivery from HM Passport Office to the customer but excludes delivery time from the customer to HM Passport Office.
The equivalent figure for overseas applications is 11 days, which includes an estimated 7 days delivery to customers but excludes the time taken for delivery from the customer to HM Passport Office. These figures exclude time awaiting interview.
Asked by: Lord Walney (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many foreign nationals who have been convicted of a crime outside the UK and who currently live in the UK are being supervised by email by probation officers based in their native country.
Answered by James Brokenshire
The Home Office does not hold information on any overseas probation supervision occurring by email. Probation is a responsibility of the Ministry of Justice rather than the Home Office and it may be that they hold the information you have requested.