Asked by: Lord Davies of Gower (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many instances there were of individuals under the age of 18 being employed in the role of a Covert Human Intelligence Source during the last complete calendar year for which such a record is available.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The most recent available data published by the Investigatory Powers Commissioner reported that 17 Juvenile CHIS authorisations were approved across 11 public authorities during the four-year period between January 2015 to the end of 2018.
Asked by: Lord Davies of Gower (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many thefts of aircraft (1) engines, and (2) avionics, have been reported to police over the last five 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 collects and publishes data on offences of theft reported to and recorded by the police, but it is not possible to separately identify those involving theft of aircraft engines or avionics.
Asked by: Lord Davies of Gower (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prevent the sale of stolen aircraft parts.
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 clear that the theft of aircraft parts, and other forms of acquisitive crime should be reported to the police so that they can be investigated appropriately. To help ensure that the police have the resources they need to do so, we are recruiting 20,000 officers over the next three years. £45 million has already been committed in 2019/20 to start the recruitment process and a further £750 million will be invested in 2020/21 to enable forces across England and Wales to recruit 6,000 additional officers by the end of March 2021. In addition, the Crown Prosecution Service is receiving an extra £85 million to ensure the criminal justice system can support the work of these extra officers.
Asked by: Lord Davies of Gower (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to use general aviation airfields and volunteer pilots to enhance emergency supply chains during natural disasters such as floods.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
These matters are the responsibility of the Cabinet Office and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. They deal with complex supply chains and flooding respectively.
Asked by: Lord Davies of Gower (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many investigations the International Corruption Unit (ICU) at the National Crime Agency (NCA) inherited from other agencies when it was first established; and how many new investigations the ICU at the NCA has started since it was established.
Answered by Ben Wallace
The International Corruption Unit (ICU) at the National Crime Agency (NCA) inherited 23 investigations. Since it was first established it has commenced 24 new investigations. (Figures have been provided by the NCA).
Asked by: Lord Davies of Gower (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support the Government is providing to tackle people-smuggling in the Mediterranean.
Answered by Theresa May
We have established an Organised Immigration Crime Taskforce of 100 officers from the NCA, Crown Prosecution Service, and the Home Office to disrupt organised immigration crime groups upstream, including through the Mediterranean routes, and in the UK. The UK is also supporting the EU Naval Forces Operation in the Mediterranean. We are determined to disrupt organised immigration criminal activities which impact adversely on our security and have such a wanton disregard for human life.
Asked by: Lord Davies of Gower (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the budget for the International Corruption Unit at the National Crime Agency was in each year of that Unit's operation to date; and what that budget will be in each of the next three years.
Answered by Mike Penning
The International Corruption Unit became operational on 29 June 2015. It is part of the Economic Crime Command and draws on the full range of capabilities within the National Crime Agency (NCA). Therefore it is not possible to provide a specific figure for the budget of the International Corruption Unit.
The NCA’s annual budget for 2015/16, as published in the NCA’s Annual Plan, is a resource Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) of £408 million and a capital DEL of £40 million.