Asked by: Christian Matheson (Independent - City of Chester)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which agreement takes precedence in areas where she has accepted a business case for the police and crime commissioner to become the fire and rescue authority, or where such a transfer is in progress, and where the Government has also agreed a City Deal that would give combined authorities responsibility over fire and rescue services.
Answered by Mike Penning
The transfer of responsibility for fire and rescue services to either Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) or mayoral combined authorities is consistent with the Government’s broader approach to devolution. Joining up oversight of public services in this way will promote further collaboration and enable local leaders to pursue ambitious reforms that improve local services and deliver value for money.
The Government has been clear that it is for local leaders to determine how fire and rescue services are delivered in the best interests of their communities. The Government will consider any proposals to transfer responsibility for fire and rescue to a PCC or to a combined authority mayor on a case by case basis. There is no pre-determined order of preference.
Asked by: Christian Matheson (Independent - City of Chester)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what contribution she made at the meeting of EU interior ministers on the refugee crisis on 25 February 2016; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by James Brokenshire
A meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Council took place in Brussels on 25 February, which my Rt. Hon Friend the Home Secretary attended on behalf of the UK.
It is protocol for a Written Ministerial Statement (WMS) to be made in Parliament after each JHA Council, reporting the meeting and setting out the position taken by the UK. In this instance, a WMS will be made in both Houses on Thursday 3 March, which is within the agreed timescale.
Asked by: Christian Matheson (Independent - City of Chester)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many terrorism-related suspects on police bail have (a) been ordered to relinquish and (b) relinquished their UK passports since January 2013.
Answered by John Hayes
Individuals suspected of terrorism-related offences can be arrested under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) or the Terrorism Act 2000 (TACT). The decision on which power of arrest to use is an operational judgement for police, and will depend on the circumstances of the case.
Individuals arrested under TACT cannot be released on police bail. By contrast, those suspected of terrorism-related offences arrested under PACE must be bailed once the grounds for detention no longer apply. Figures for the number of terrorism-related suspects on police bail that have been ordered to relinquish their passports, or have relinquished their passports, are not collected.
As the Secretary of State for the Home Department said in the House on 05 January 2016, figures for the number of people who have absconded whilst on police bail for terrorism offences are also not collected.
Figures for those who fail to surrender to bail are collected, but these figures are not separated into categories of offence. These figures are publically available and can be found as follows: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2014
Asked by: Christian Matheson (Independent - City of Chester)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many terrorism-offence related suspects on police bail are understood by her Department to have broken bail and left the UK since January 2013.
Answered by John Hayes
Individuals suspected of terrorism-related offences can be arrested under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) or the Terrorism Act 2000 (TACT). The decision on which power of arrest to use is an operational judgement for police, and will depend on the circumstances of the case.
Individuals arrested under TACT cannot be released on police bail. By contrast, those suspected of terrorism-related offences arrested under PACE must be bailed once the grounds for detention no longer apply. Figures for the number of terrorism-related suspects on police bail that have been ordered to relinquish their passports, or have relinquished their passports, are not collected.
As the Secretary of State for the Home Department said in the House on 05 January 2016, figures for the number of people who have absconded whilst on police bail for terrorism offences are also not collected.
Figures for those who fail to surrender to bail are collected, but these figures are not separated into categories of offence. These figures are publically available and can be found as follows: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2014
Asked by: Christian Matheson (Independent - City of Chester)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which police forces have imported policing-related equipment from Israel since 2010; and what equipment was so imported by each such force concerned.
Answered by Mike Penning
This information is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
The procurement of goods and services for police forces is a matter for Police and Crime Commissioners and Chief Constables locally.