Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he expects the final Migration Advisory Committee report assessing the impact on the UK labour market of the UK's exit from the EU to be published.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
In July 2017, the then-Home Secretary, my Rt. Hon Friend the Member for Hastings and Rye, commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to gather evidence on patterns of EU migration and the role of migration in the wider economy, ahead of our exit from the EU, and to report by September 2018. The commission can be found online here https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/633321/Commission_to_the_MAC.pdf
MAC published an interim report on 27 March which is also available here https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/694494/eea-workers-uk-labour-market-interim-update.pdf
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the statutory provisions for combating fraudulent activities and scams aimed at the elderly.
Answered by Ben Wallace
Fraud is a heinous crime often affecting the most vulnerable members of society such as the elderly and those who may be susceptible to approaches from fraudsters. Through the Joint Fraud Taskforce the Government is working collaboratively with the police, banks, and national trading standards to implement a series of measures designed to protect vulnerable and susceptible people from becoming victims of fraud, and to provide better care and assistance to those who do become victims. We are committed to measuring the effectiveness of these measures.
The Joint Fraud Taskforce has supported the roll-out of the Banking Protocol, through which bank staff are trained to recognise signs that fraud may be taking place in branch. The Banking Protocol guarantees a direct enforcement response and has so far stopped over £16m from getting into criminal hands and led to over 150 arrests.
The Taskforce has also supported the development and launch of a Code of Practice for banks which sets minimum standards for the recognition and care of victims of fraud and financial abuse. The Taskforce is working to ensure that all banks adhere to the principles of the Code of Practice and is currently developing this monitoring.
The Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign developed by the banks and the Home Office is designed to help encourage the public to protect themselves from fraud and scams, providing advice on specific protective behaviours including around phishing. The campaign was developed jointly by industry, Government experts and the Joint Fraud Taskforce. Take Five has partnered with a number of organisations including Neighbourhood Watch, National Trading Standards and Age UK to ensure awareness is raised amongst older people. The Take Five video advert has been viewed over 13 million times, and millions have engaged with the campaign on social media. The Take Five Week in January generated 108 pieces of coverage and over 160
partners supported the week, including law enforcement, and public and private sector partners. Neighbourhood Watch reached over 368,000 members with an e-alert on Take Five, and circulated 100,000 co-branded Take Five window stickers to local co-ordinators.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment has been made of the effectiveness of Operation Gull in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
Operation Gull in Northern Ireland is an intelligence-led operation. As such, its effectiveness is subject to continuous review in line with evolving
intelligence. No discussions have been held with the Northern Ireland authorities on the future of Operation Gull.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland authorities on the future of Operation Gull in Northern Ireland after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
Operation Gull in Northern Ireland is an intelligence-led operation. As such, its effectiveness is subject to continuous review in line with evolving
intelligence. No discussions have been held with the Northern Ireland authorities on the future of Operation Gull.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to take account of (a) the views of advocacy organisations and (b) regional trends in Northern Ireland for the draft Domestic Violence and Abuse Bill.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
To inform the development of legislative proposals to tackle domestic abuse, we will be publishing a public consultation later this year, and welcome responses from anyone who wishes to contribute, including from specialist domestic abuse organisations.
We are keen to take in to account experience from across the UK, and have already engaged with officials in Northern Ireland to this end.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to tackle online jihadi terrorist propaganda as a means of radicalisation.
Answered by Ben Wallace
This Government has been clear there should be no safe space online for terrorists and their supporters to radicalise, recruit, incite, or inspire. The UK has been at the forefront of the online battle against terrorist and extremist material.
We are working closely with industry, including through the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism, to encourage them to develop innovative solutions to tackle online radicalisation.
The dedicated police Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU) refers content that they assess as contravening UK terrorism legislation to industry and have secured the removal of over 290,000 pieces of terrorist-related material, including propaganda, since its inception in February 2010.
RICU work with a range of civil society groups to counter extremist and terrorist ideologies and to equip people in communities with the ability to reject those narratives.
We also want to address misuse of the internet by individuals: for that reason the Home Secretary announced at the Conservative Party Conference recently that the government will seek to change the law, so that people who repeatedly view terrorist content online could face up to fifteen years behind bars.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of emergency calls to the police were responded to within 20 minutes in 2015-16.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
Responding to emergency calls is the responsibility of local police forces. Forces provide data to the Home Office on the number of 999 calls received but not on response times to 999 emergency calls.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with the devolved administrations on the implementation of the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement scheme.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
Officials from the UK Government’s Resettlement Programme are in regular dialogue with the devolved administrations in relation to the delivery of the Syrian Vulnerable Person’s Resettlement scheme.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on tackling radicalisation of young people by Islamist extremists.
Answered by Ben Wallace
Tackling the radicalisation of young people is a key priority for this Government. Prevent is a key part of our counter – terrorism strategy (CONTEST). It safeguards vulnerable individuals by building resilience to extremist ideologies, countering the ideology that terrorists espouse, and removing access to terrorist propaganda online.
Many of the issues dealt with under the CONTEST strategy and the principles it sets out are relevant to the threat in Northern Ireland. We work closely with the Northern Ireland Executive, the PSNI and other partners as they respond to those who would seek to undermine peace and prosperity.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the counter extremism strategy.
Answered by Sarah Newton
The Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland agreed prior to publication of the Counter-Extremism Strategy (October 2015) that the strategy would not extend to Northern Ireland at this stage.
Home Office officials have engaged colleagues in the Northern Ireland Executive and Northern Ireland Office, including during visits to Belfast. We remain keen to maintain this engagement to share ideas and discuss all aspects of the strategy.