Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when funding for Operation Grange, investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, is due to end.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
Following a recent application from the Metropolitan Police Service, the Home Office has confirmed Special Grant funding for Operation Grange until the end of March 2018.
The resources required for the investigation are reviewed regularly and careful consideration will be given to any future Special Grant funding applications from the force.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
Her Majesty's Government how many incidents of the shooting of cats by airguns were reported to the police in (1) 2015, and (2) 2016; and how many of those incidents related to fatal shootings.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
The Home Office holds information on the number of offences recorded by the police that involved an air gun. The shooting of cats by an air gun cannot be separately identified within this information.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the total cost to date of Operation Grange, the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, and whether any resources have been allocated to it for the financial year 2017–18.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
The total cost of Operation Grange since 2011, up until end of January 2017, is £11.05m.
We have already provided the Metropolitan Police Service with the funding required for Operation Grange to continue until at least the end of the 2016/17 financial year. The resources required will be reviewed again at this point.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the total cost to date of Operation Midland into allegations of historic child sex abuse.
Answered by Lord Bates
The resourcing, and cost, of police investigations into non recent child sexual abuse allegations is a matter for the relevant Chief Officer.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 16 September (HL2087), whether they have any plans to spend an amount equivalent to the spending on Operation Grange in 2015–16 on the search for Ben Needham, or other missing children; and if not, why not.
Answered by Lord Bates
This Government is clear that unresolved missing children cases, like that of Ben Needham, are never closed and will continue to support the Greek authorities in its investigations. In 2014, South Yorkshire Police requested a Special Grant payment of £700k to support its investigation into the disappearance of Ben Needham. This funding was approved. No decisions have been made in respect of police funding for 2016/17, but any request from South Yorkshire Police will be considered carefully.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 16 September (HL2087), whether they have established success criteria for the budgeted spend of £2 million for Operation Grange in 2015–16.
Answered by Lord Bates
The Home Office funds the cost of Operation Grange from the Special Grant budget. The level of funding provided to the Metropolitan Police in relation to this investigation is reviewed regularly and will continue to be monitored. The Metropolitan Police keep the Home Office informed of the progress of the investigation through regular updates. These include an assessment of the need for continued funding which is linked to whether there remain continued lines of investigation to pursue.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the cost to date of the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, Operation Grange; what provision has been made for funding the operation in the future; and what criteria they are using to judge how long funding should continue.
Answered by Lord Bates
The total cost of the investigation, into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann (Operation Grange), up until end of June 2015, is £10.1m. The Home Office has budgeted £2m for the investigation in 2015/16.
The Home Office funds this work from the Special Grant budget. The level of funding provided to the Metropolitan Police in relation to this investigation is reviewed regularly and will continue to be monitored.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to review the law relating to the purchase and possession of air guns in England, in the light of the increasing number of shootings of cats being recorded by the RSPCA.
Answered by Lord Bates
There are currently no plans to review the laws in place for the purchase and possession of air weapons. Animal cruelty is abhorrent. It is already an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to an animal, and all such incidents should be reported to the police who have the necessary powers to investigate.Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they have taken in response to allegations of the theft of almost 300 cats in the Suffolk area between June and December 2014.
Answered by Lord Bates
Allegations of criminal behaviour should be reported to the Suffolk Constabulary so they can decide whether to instigate a criminal investigation. The Government has introduced Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) to ensure that police force priorities across England and Wales better reflect those of the communities they serve, and that the police respond effectively to crime committed in the local area.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the number of recorded homophobic crimes in each of the last five years in England and Wales.
Answered by Lord Bates
The Home Office does not hold information specifically on homophobic crimes but does hold information on the number of hate crimes based on sexual orientation – which may also include crimes against heterosexuals (and perceived heterosexuals).
In 2011/12, 2012/13 and 2013/14 there were 4,364, 4,261 and 4,622 sexual orientation hate crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales (including the British Transport Police) respectively. The Home Office only holds data for the last three years.