Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the French authorities on the need to take measures to ensure the safety and licences of boats to carry persons across the English Channel.
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 did reply to Mr Sharrod’s letters of 13 August 2020 and 20 October 2020, which was raised with the Home Office by a member in another place.
The Home Office previously engaged with the French on this issue of the applicability of French maritime regulation to migrant vessels and will continue to do so. However, any decision on when, where and how to apply French law in this area must be a matter for the French, in their jurisdiction. The Home Office is aware of France's obligations under the Migrant Smuggling Protocol to prevent illegal migration.
Our New Plan for Immigration and the legislation to implement it will bring root and branch reform to the asylum system. We will take tougher action against anyone who facilitates illegal entry, such as by piloting a small boat. We plan to increase the maximum sentence for people smuggling to life imprisonment.
Border Force will be granted additional powers to stop illegal migration, including the ability to stop and redirect vessels at sea. These reforms will break the business model of criminal trafficking networks. They will deter illegal entry into this country and make it unviable.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made, or intend to make, representations to the government of France on the enforcement of regulations applicable to France on the use of small boats departing the coast of France and entering British waters.
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 did reply to Mr Sharrod’s letters of 13 August 2020 and 20 October 2020, which was raised with the Home Office by a member in another place.
The Home Office previously engaged with the French on this issue of the applicability of French maritime regulation to migrant vessels and will continue to do so. However, any decision on when, where and how to apply French law in this area must be a matter for the French, in their jurisdiction. The Home Office is aware of France's obligations under the Migrant Smuggling Protocol to prevent illegal migration.
Our New Plan for Immigration and the legislation to implement it will bring root and branch reform to the asylum system. We will take tougher action against anyone who facilitates illegal entry, such as by piloting a small boat. We plan to increase the maximum sentence for people smuggling to life imprisonment.
Border Force will be granted additional powers to stop illegal migration, including the ability to stop and redirect vessels at sea. These reforms will break the business model of criminal trafficking networks. They will deter illegal entry into this country and make it unviable.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect the Home Office will respond to former coxswain of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution Charles Sharrod’s letter regarding the equipment used by migrants during Channel crossings.
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 did reply to Mr Sharrod’s letters of 13 August 2020 and 20 October 2020, which was raised with the Home Office by a member in another place.
The Home Office previously engaged with the French on this issue of the applicability of French maritime regulation to migrant vessels and will continue to do so. However, any decision on when, where and how to apply French law in this area must be a matter for the French, in their jurisdiction. The Home Office is aware of France's obligations under the Migrant Smuggling Protocol to prevent illegal migration.
Our New Plan for Immigration and the legislation to implement it will bring root and branch reform to the asylum system. We will take tougher action against anyone who facilitates illegal entry, such as by piloting a small boat. We plan to increase the maximum sentence for people smuggling to life imprisonment.
Border Force will be granted additional powers to stop illegal migration, including the ability to stop and redirect vessels at sea. These reforms will break the business model of criminal trafficking networks. They will deter illegal entry into this country and make it unviable.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take following the correspondence on the use of non-compliant equipment during Channel crossings sent to the Home Office by Charles Sharrod.
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 previously engaged with the French on this issue of the applicability of French maritime regulation to migrant vessels and will continue to do so. However, any decision on when, where and how to apply French law in this area must be a matter for the French, in their jurisdiction.
Our New Plan for Immigration and the legislation to implement it will bring root and branch reform to the asylum system. We will take tougher action against anyone who facilitates illegal entry, such as by piloting a small boat. We plan to increase the maximum sentence for people smuggling to life imprisonment.
Border Force will be granted additional powers to stop illegal migration, including the ability to stop and redirect vessels at sea. These reforms will break the business model of criminal trafficking networks. They will deter illegal entry into this country and make it unviable.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have commissioned any report considering the characteristics of people who commit group based sexual offences; whether they will publish any such report; and if so, when.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Officials have been pursuing work on several fronts to improve our understanding of the characteristics of group-based child sexual exploitation, as well as the implications for the investigation and prevention of these crimes.
This internal work is being carried out as part of routine policy development. As such, it has not been undertaken with the intention of publication.
Much of the insight gained through our work with law enforcement partners contains operationally and personally sensitive information and will need to remain confidential.
In early 2020 the Government will publish a national strategy, the first of its kind, to tackle all forms of child sexual abuse.
Our new strategy will set out our whole system response to tackling child sexual abuse, including group-based sexual offending, drawing on this internal work. It will set out how we will work across government, law enforcement, safeguarding partners and industry to root out offending, protect victims and help victims and survivors rebuild their lives. We will work tirelessly to tackle all forms of sexual abuse; there will be no no-go areas.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the Sexual Offences Act 2003, and in particular any provisions relating to the change of name by sexual offenders.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The UK has some of the toughest powers in the world to deal with sex offenders and we are committed to ensuring that the system is as robust as it can be.
Registered sex offenders are managed by the police, who assess the risk each individual poses to the public and monitor changes to offenders’ circumstances.
Offenders must tell the police any names that they have used, including ones used online, and must notify the police within 3 days of any name change. This includes notifying the police of any changes to the offender’s passport or other identity documents. A failure to inform the police of a change in name constitutes a breach of notification requirements which is a criminal offence carrying up to 5 years’ imprisonment.
We will continue to work with the police to ensure they have all the necessary tools to manage sex offenders effectively.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of custody suites that were available in each borough in London for use by the Metropolitan Police in each year since 2010.
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 hold information centrally on the number of custody suites across England and Wales.
Decisions on the use of resources, including custody suites, are a matter for Police and Crime Commissioners and Chief Constables as they best understand the needs of the communities they serve.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government on how many occasions members of organisations proscribed in UK legislation have been denied access to the UK to attend conferences organised by the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The information is not held centrally and to obtain it would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government at what stage would an individual who is both (1) a member of a Lebanese parliament or the government of Lebanon, and (2) a member of a political organisation connected with Hezbollah, be informed that they would, under the provisions of the Terrorism Act 2000 (Proscribed Organisations) (Amendment) Order 2019, be denied access to the UK as a participant at the Inter-Parliamentary Union and other conferences in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Where it is known that an individual seeking entry to the UK is a member of an organisation proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000, their application for entry clearance can be refused under Part 9 of the Immigration Rules on the basis that their character, conduct or associations make it undesirable to grant them entry to the UK. Applications for leave to enter at the border can be refused on the same grounds.
Individuals may also be excluded from the UK on the basis that it is conducive to the public good.
Members of a foreign government coming to the UK on the official business of their government are exempt from immigration control under section 8(2) of the Immigration Act 1971 and cannot ordinarily be refused entry under the non-conducive provisions of the Immigration Rules, unless the Secretary of State has directed under Article 4(a) of the Immigration (Exemption from Control) Order 1972 that the person shall not be exempt from the provisions of the 1971 Act.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have held with the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse about the disclosure of material held in social services and criminal records relating to the case of Greville Janner.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
It is a matter for the inquiry which is independent, to disclose where appropriate and in line with security and data protection protocols, any documents which are considered relevant as part of the inquiry.