Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has made an assessment of the impact of the standard of forensic science available to police officers on prosecution rates.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office has made no direct assessment of its own, but we have worked with the National Police Chief’s Council and the Forensic Science Regulator to monitor the accreditation rates of forensic science providers.
The government also put the Forensic Science Regulator on a statutory footing through the Forensic Science Regulator Act (2021) and he has the necessary powers to enforce quality standards.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the (a) membership and (b) terms of reference is for the forensic science reform programme board.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The membership of the Forensic Reform Programme Board, in addition to officials from the Home Office and Ministry of Justice, includes:
Association of Forensic Science Providers
Association of Police and Crime Commissioners
Attorney General’s Office
Bar Council
BlueLight Commercial
Chartered Society of Forensic Scientists
Crown Prosecution Service
First Forensic Forum
Forensics Archive
Forensic Capability Network
Forensic Science Northern Ireland
Forensic Science Regulator
Judicial Office
Law society
National Crime Agency
National Police Chiefs’ Council
Police Digital Service
Scottish Police Authority Forensic Service
University of Lausanne
United Kingdom Accreditation Service
Victims' Commissioner
The Terms of Reference of the Forensic Science Programme Board are as follows:
The Board, which brings together stakeholders from across policing and the criminal justice system, steers and scrutinises reform to ensure that the forensics model that serves England and Wales is working for the whole of the CJS.
The Board oversees completion of the Forensic Reform Programme and ensures that the programme’s interventions deliver the improvements needed. These interventions are intended to strengthen the forensics model and win back the confidence of stakeholders and partners who depend on it, in their service to justice and the public.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department holds data on the total number of streamlined forensic reports produced since they were introduced.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office has not conducted any such impact assessment and does not hold this data.
The Home Office funded Forensic Capability Network (FCN) manages and oversees the Streamlined Forensic Reporting (SFR) process on behalf of policing and the criminal justice system. The FCN last published guidance on SFR in January 2023, which can be read here:
https://www.fcn.police.uk/news/2023-01/streamlined-forensic-reporting-sfr-update-winter-2023
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has produced an impact assessment on the use of streamlined forensic reports.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office has not conducted any such impact assessment and does not hold this data.
The Home Office funded Forensic Capability Network (FCN) manages and oversees the Streamlined Forensic Reporting (SFR) process on behalf of policing and the criminal justice system. The FCN last published guidance on SFR in January 2023, which can be read here:
https://www.fcn.police.uk/news/2023-01/streamlined-forensic-reporting-sfr-update-winter-2023
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she is taking steps to provide support to victims of marriage fraud in the UK by foreign nationals to help them obtain (a) a residence permit and (b) money.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)
The impact of fraud extends beyond financial losses. Victims can suffer both serious financial and emotional harm and that is why we have taken various steps, as detailed in the Fraud Strategy, to improve the victim support system.
The strategy outlines how we will raise public awareness and safeguard victims through improved reporting pathways, more accessible victim support, and the provision of clear and consistent protect advice. This will ensure that everyone receives the support they need to feel safe again and prevent revictimisation.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with interested parties to assess the potential merits of updating the cosmetics and chemicals regulations in the last 12 months.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)
On 17 May 2023, the Government introduced a licensing ban on animal testing of chemicals exclusively intended as ingredients in cosmetics.
The Home Office continues to engage relevant stakeholders and is working with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and Department for Business and Trade, who are responsible for the regulation of chemicals and cosmetics, respectively.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to provide safeguarding processes for (a) victims of modern slavery and (b) other vulnerable adults arriving in the UK.
Answered by Sarah Dines
Protecting the vulnerable and tackling MSHT is a top priority for Border Force. As First Responders, frontline Border Force Officers play a key role in identifying both victims and perpetrators of human trafficking as they seek to cross the UK border. Border Force work to prevent exploitation from happening, to safeguard and protect vulnerable persons and in collaboration with other law enforcement colleagues seek to bring to justice those who commit MSHT crime. All frontline Border Force officers are trained to spot the signs of MSHT and make necessary safeguarding referrals. Border Force also has a cadre of over 500 specialist Safeguarding & Modern Slavery (SAMS) officers.
All Border Force safeguarding and Modern Slavery training is reviewed and updated to ensure it continues to fulfil those ICIBI (Independent Chief Inspector for Borders & Immigration) and IASC (Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner) expectations which the Home Office has accepted.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she is taking steps to combat the use of Greenways in West Yorkshire by motorbike users.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government recognises that any form of anti-social, dangerous or inconsiderate behaviour involving vehicles, including the illegal use of motorbikes on greenways, is a serious issue.
No assessment has been made of the impact of the illegal use of greenways by motorbike users on other users.
Enforcement of road traffic law, including in West Yorkshire, is an operational matter for individual Chief Officers in conjunction with local Police and Crime Commissioners to determine based on local policing priorities.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the impact of the illegal use of greenways by motorbike users on other users.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government recognises that any form of anti-social, dangerous or inconsiderate behaviour involving vehicles, including the illegal use of motorbikes on greenways, is a serious issue.
No assessment has been made of the impact of the illegal use of greenways by motorbike users on other users.
Enforcement of road traffic law, including in West Yorkshire, is an operational matter for individual Chief Officers in conjunction with local Police and Crime Commissioners to determine based on local policing priorities.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her Department's policies of recent trends in the financial sustainability of major forensic science providers in England and Wales.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
BlueLight Commercial works with the National Police Chief’s Council and the Forensics Capability Network to manages forensic science contracts and other commercial functions in England and Wales.
The Home Office is providing funding to BlueLight Commercial and the Forensic Capability Network in 2022/23, and we fully support them in their role.