Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases of fraud or forgery in relation to the registration of (a) births, (b) marriages and (c) deaths have been identified in each of the last five years for which records are available.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Home Office collects information on the number of fraud and forgery offences from the police in England and Wales but cases relating to the registration of births, marriages and deaths are not separately identifiable.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the contribution of (a) illegal immigrants and (b) drug dealers to the spread of covid-19.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
The Home Office does not hold any information within the remit of your question.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many thefts of catalytic converters from hybrid vehicles have been reported in England in the last three month period for which information is available; and if she will make it the policy of the Government to restrict the ability of scrap dealers to trade in such converters.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
Figures are not held on the number of thefts of catalytic converters from hybrid vehicles in England. The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) collects data on incidents regarding theft from a vehicle, including details of the items stolen, such as car parts. From April 2019 to March 2020, an estimate of recorded household incidents from the CSEW shows that in 1.6% of incidents of theft from vehicles, a catalytic converter was stolen. The figures are published here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/adhocs/12496catalyticconvertersstoleninincidentsoftheftfromvehiclesyearendingmarch2015toyearendingmarch2020crimesurveyforenglandandwales
The Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 provides a regulatory regime for the scrap metal industry, including a requirement for scrap metal dealers to obtain a scrap metal licence from their local authority. The requirements of the Act apply to most types of metal and apply where someone is selling an item such as a catalytic converter to a scrap metal dealer.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when a response will be given to the settlement application reference UAN:3434-0630-8381-4967/00; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Kevin Foster
In this instance, our enquiries have now been completed and the applicant granted status.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to allow applicants for naturalisation as British citizens to continue to qualify if they have been absent outside the UK for more than three months as a result of covid-related lockdowns or border closures in the country in which they were temporarily residing with the consequence that they were unable to return to the UK before the expiry of the three month time limit; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Kevin Foster
There is discretion within the British Nationality Act 1981 to overlook excess absences, which is explained in published guidance. When considering whether to exercise discretion we will take into account time when a person was unable to return to the UK because of a global pandemic.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy that illegal immigrants detained in the UK after crossing the English Channel from France are either required to be returned immediately to France or placed in quarantine in the UK for fourteen days during the covid-19 outbreak; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
We only detain people where it is absolutely necessary and there is always a presumption on liberty.
Decisions to detain are made on a case-by-case basis and kept under constant review but it is only right that we protect the public from high-harm individuals, which is why the vast majority of those in detention are foreign national offenders.
We are following public health advice and providing appropriate health care as it is needed. There is no evidence to show that there is an increased risk from migrants.
We continue to work in line with Public Health England guidance; migrants arriving by small boats are not specifically tested for coronavirus but are monitored for symptoms and will be provided with accommodation where they can isolate if needed.
As a result of COVID-19 the vast majority of EU member states have temporarily paused accepting returns under the Regulations, but we are tracking those individuals and where appropriate will seek to return them when routes are available.
The health of those in immigration removal centres is of the utmost importance and Immigration Enforcement are following the latest guidance from Public Health England. Measures such as protective isolation will be considered on a case by case basis to minimise the risk of COVID-19 spreading to vulnerable groups in the immigration detention estate. Further measures including shielding, single occupancy rooms and the cessation of social visits have been introduced in line with the Government direction on social distancing.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish her assessment of the progress achieved in implementing the joint action plan by the UK and France on combating illegal migration involving small boats in the English Channel; and when the objective set out in paragraph 6 of the addendum of ensuring that by Spring 2020 successful migrant crossings have become an infrequent phenomenon will be achieved.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
Since the signature of the Joint Action Plan in January 2019, my department has successfully worked with the French Government to deliver on the commitments made, including (i) the purchase of equipment to assist detections by French law enforcement partners (ii) the delivery of a strategic communications campaign and (iii) increased intelligence sharing through the CCIC. Additionally, under the terms of the Addendum to the Action Plan, the UK has supported the deployment of French gendarme reservists along the French coast, whose efforts have been vital in preventing boats crossing the English Channel.
However, as recognised under the Addendum, this threat continues to evolve, with the recent good weather and Covid-19 lockdown having an impact on migrant behaviour, resulting in a rise in the number of arrivals in the UK. My department is working with the French government to respond to this evolving threat as a matter of urgency to reduce the number of crossings.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department has issued to the police in England on the use of their common law powers and responsibilities.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Home Office is responsible for the statutory powers available to the Police. There are a limited number of common law powers that the police rely on as the majority have been transposed into statute.
We maintain an open dialogue with the College of Policing and police stakeholders on police powers. Training on use of powers is an operational matter for police forces.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the definition of a hate incident set out on the College of Policing's website; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The College of Policing is independent from Government and its role is clear: setting high professional standards; sharing what works best; acting as the national voice of policing; and ensuring police training and ethics is of the highest possible quality.
The College of Policing has revised its operational guidance on hate crime to help provide clarity on responding to non-crime hate incidents, among other things. The College has consulted on this draft revised operational guidance and plans to publish this in due course to support forces dealing with hate crimes and hate incidents.
The Home Office collects and publishes information on the number of hate crime offences recorded by the police in England and Wales. Information is not collected on non-crime hate incidents or the investigative resource allocated to them.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the annual cost to the public purse of the police responding to non-crime hate incidents in England.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The College of Policing is independent from Government and its role is clear: setting high professional standards; sharing what works best; acting as the national voice of policing; and ensuring police training and ethics is of the highest possible quality.
The College of Policing has revised its operational guidance on hate crime to help provide clarity on responding to non-crime hate incidents, among other things. The College has consulted on this draft revised operational guidance and plans to publish this in due course to support forces dealing with hate crimes and hate incidents.
The Home Office collects and publishes information on the number of hate crime offences recorded by the police in England and Wales. Information is not collected on non-crime hate incidents or the investigative resource allocated to them.