Asked by: Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what would be the net cost to (1) central government, and (2) local authorities, of providing an additional 20,000 police officers in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
The Home Office has responsibility for policing in England and Wales, where the size and composition of the police workforce is a local decision for Police and Crime Commissioners, working with chief officers. Policing in Scotland and Northern Ireland is a devolved matter.
The police funding settlement for 2019/20 in England and Wales increases funding by around £970 million, including additional funding for pensions, and income from council tax. PCCs have been setting out their plans to use this additional funding to recruit around 2700 additional police officers and 600 staff.
Asked by: Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect net migration to reduce to under 100,000 per year.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
We remain committed to reducing net migration to sustainable levels. Net migration has fallen since peaks in 2015 and 2016 and we will continue to reform our immigration routes to ensure that they work in the best interests of the country.
We will shortly be publishing an Immigration White Paper which will contain the principles for our new immigration system. We are ending free movement and designing a system that will work in the national interest.
We have been clear that the UK will always be open to those who bring valuable skills, experience and investment to the UK and our economy. We will continue to pursue immigration policies that are selective about who makes the greatest contribution to our country.
Asked by: Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to classify misogyny as a hate crime; and if so, whether they intend also to classify misandry as a hate crime.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
The Government has asked the Law Commission to undertake a review of the coverage and approach of current hate crime provisions, to ensure the criminal law is working effectively. This includes consideration of whether there should be additional protected characteristics such as gender. Once the Law Commission review is complete, the recommendations will be looked at in the usual way.
Asked by: Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, following the publication by the Office for National Statistics of the Statistical bulletin: Domestic abuse in England and Wales: year ending March 2017 on 23 November, which states that more than one third of the victims of domestic violence in that period were men, they will clarify the statement by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 27 November (HL Deb, col 486) that “the breakdown of victims of domestic violence is thought to be about 96% women and 4% men”.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
Data shows that women are much more likely than men to be the victims of high risk or severe domestic abuse and this is clearly demonstrated through a greater number of cases going to a Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference and accessing an Independent Domestic Violence Advisor service, who deal with the most severe cases of domestic abuse. 95% of these victims are female.
Asked by: Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 7 November (HL2645 and HL2646), which terrorist threats have been addressed since 2011; what was the origin and nature of those threats; and whether there is one source that predominates.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
Since 2011, our counter-terrorism strategy CONTEST has addressed “all forms of terrorist threat to this country and our interests, whether it originates here or overseas”, regardless of the ideology that inspires it. Our Counter Terrorism Strategy does not target a specific faith or ethnic group - it deals with all forms of terrorism. Currently the greatest threat comes from terrorist recruiters inspired by Daesh.
Asked by: Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 24 October (HL2171) concerning the European Arrest Warrant system, whether they will now answer the question asked.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
We are exploring options for cooperation arrangements once the UK has left the EU. It is too early to say what the final outcome of the negotiations with the EU will be and it would be wrong to set out unilateral positions at this time, however as indicated in answer HL2171, we will do what is necessary to keep people safe.
Asked by: Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the European Arrest Warrant system will cease to have legal force in the UK following Brexit.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
We are leaving the EU but co-operation on security with our European and global allies will be undiminished.
Officials are exploring options for cooperation arrangements once the UK has left the EU. We will do what is necessary to keep people safe, but it would be wrong to set out our position in advance of negotiations.
Asked by: Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Statement by Lord Bates on 2 February (HLWS495), whether they intend to resist any proposal to allow the EU border guard to intervene directly in member states; and what assessment they have made of whether such an extension of EU powers would be made by way of treaty change and a UK referendum.
Answered by Lord Bates
The proposal for a European Border and Coast Guard builds on provisions of the Schengen agreement in which the UK does not participate; the UK will not therefore be bound by the new regulation.
The UK is supportive of steps to increase the security of the external Schengen border - we have a strong interest in effective management of the Schengen external border, not just in combating illegal migration, and cross-border crime but also as part of the EU-wide counter-terrorism effort.
In the Commission’s view there is sufficient basis in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) to take forward the clause which allows for intervention, without change to the Treaty.
Asked by: Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Statement by Lord Faulks on 10 December 2015 (HLWS380), whether they will continue to oppose common EU standards relating to online hate speech and insist that such a matter is for decision by the Member States.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Yes. This is a decision for individual member states.