Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the the fine imposed on Adam Smith-Connor in Bournemouth in December 2022; and whether she plans to have a discussion with the Attorney General on a review of the provisions of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 relating to the power to make Public Space Protection Orders in respect of fundamental rights of freedom of thought and religion.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, local authorities can impose Public Space Protection Orders to stop individuals or groups committing anti-social behaviour in a public space. A local authority may impose a Public Space Protection Order if satisfied on reasonable grounds that activities carried on in a public place have, or are likely to have, a detrimental effect on the quality of life of those in the locality.
Public Space Protection Orders have been imposed outside a number of abortion clinics, including in Ealing, Richmond, Manchester, Birmingham and Bournemouth.
Decisions regarding what restrictions are imposed are matters for local authorities, which are required to act compatibly with the European Convention on Human Rights. This includes the balancing of Articles 9, 10 and 11 with Article 8 rights. The enforcement of PSPOs is a matter for local authorities and the police.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the (a) proportionality of the balance between freedom of expression and assembly and public order and (b) effectiveness of public spaces protection orders around abortion clinics.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, local authorities can impose Public Space Protection Orders to stop individuals or groups committing anti-social behaviour in a public space. A local authority may impose a Public Space Protection Order if satisfied on reasonable grounds that activities carried on in a public place have, or are likely to have, a detrimental effect on the quality of life of those in the locality.
Public Space Protection Orders have been imposed outside a number of abortion clinics, including in Ealing, Richmond, Manchester, Birmingham and Bournemouth.
Decisions regarding what restrictions are imposed are matters for local authorities, which are required to act compatibly with the European Convention on Human Rights. This includes the balancing of Articles 9, 10 and 11 with Article 8 rights. The enforcement of PSPOs is a matter for local authorities and the police.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether police forces receive training on methods of removing those who obstruct public highways and thoroughfares.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The actions being taken by the Insulate Britain (IB) group to block the M25 have caused major upheaval and disruption to the public. That is why we intend to use the PCSC Bill to increase the maximum penalty for obstruction of a highway from the current £1,000 fine to an unlimited fine, six months’ imprisonment, or both.
The police have extensive training programmes for dealing with public order, this includes tactics for removing those who are obstructing public highways and thoroughfares.
Each public order trained officer receives a concentrated training refresher at least once a year. Police forces have specialist “protester removal teams” who are trained to quickly and effectively remove those who are obstructing public highways and thoroughfares, and who will receive even more regular training.
Individual training packages are determined by police forces with guidance provided by the college of policing.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what feedback her Department has received on the quality of the manufacture and printing of new UK passports; and what estimate she has made of value for money in the award of the contract for the manufacture and printing of those passports.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The new British passport is a highly secure document containing some of the most sophisticated security technologies. Its components are rigorously tested to simulate normal passport handling over its ten-year lifespan.
Her Majesty's Passport Office undertakes routine quality assurance, and remains content the latest version of the British passport, including the personalisation process, continues to meet its requirements. The current contract to design, manufacture, and personalise the British passport continues to ensure good value for the taxpayer, with expected savings of approximately £140m compared to the previous contract awarded in 2009.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the disparity in per capita funding of police forces between urban and rural areas.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
On the 4th February 2021, the Government published a total police funding settlement of up to £15.8 billion in 2021/22, an increase of up to £636 million compared to 2020/21. This continued investment shows the Government is committed to supporting the entire policing sector.
The police funding formula remains the most reliable mechanism we have to distribute core grant funding although this Government is alive to the concerns many in the policing sector hold over the current formula and we acknowledge that the current arrangements are out of date. Careful consideration will be given during the upcoming Spending Review and as part of our longer-term vision for policing.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department's policy is on a potential offer of asylum to Maira Shahbaz.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
I am not able to provide specific information with regards to Maira Shahbaz’s case as it is a longstanding Government policy not to comment on individual cases. Departing from this policy may put individuals and their family members in danger.
The UK has a proud record of providing protection for people who need it, in accordance with our obligations under the Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights. However, there is no provision within our Immigration Rules for someone to be allowed to travel to the UK to seek asylum or temporary refuge.
Whilst we sympathise with people in many difficult situations around the world, we are not bound to consider asylum claims from the very large numbers of people overseas who might like to come here. Those who need international protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach – that is the fastest route to safety.
The UK Government strongly condemns the forced marriage and forced conversion of women and girls from religious minorities in Pakistan. Our concerns about such cases, as well as Freedom of Religion or Belief, women and girls’ rights and gender equality more broadly, are regularly raised with the Government of Pakistan.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent research her Department has undertaken into victims of sexual abuse and exploitation being forced to undergo abortions; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Neither the Home Office nor the Department of Health and Social Care have commissioned research into coerced or forced abortions. All abortion providers must comply with legal requirements and have regard to any statutory guidance relating to safeguarding of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All providers must have policies and protocols in place for dealing with these groups. Health professionals are required to be competent in child protection and are expected to participate in regular training to update their skills. All clinical staff working in abortion services should be trained to at least level 3 of the intercollegiate framework, Safeguarding Children and Young people: roles and competences for health care staff. Providers should have protocols in place for obtaining informed consent abortion including identifying women and girls who may feel coerced or endangered and enable them to raise their concerns in confidence.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were arrested for hate speech in (a) 2016, (b) 2017, and (c) 2018.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The term ‘hate speech’ does not have any legal meaning, nor does it relate to a criminal offence in the UK. For any example of hate speech to be treated as a hate crime it would need to meet the police and Crown Prosecution Service definition of a hate crime.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were arrested for praying in buffer zones around abortion clinics in 2018.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Home Office collects and publishes statistics on the number of arrests for notifiable offences, conducted by each police force in England and Wales, on an annual basis.
Information on the number of arrests for praying in buffer zones around abortion clinics in 2018 is not held centrally, as it is not a notifiable offence.
Asked by: Edward Leigh (Conservative - Gainsborough)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government has made an assessment of the human rights implications of Ealing Council using a Public Spaces Protection Order to criminalise peaceful protest; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Government is satisfied that Public Spaces Protection Orders are an important tool in helping local authorities to tackle persistent and unreasonable anti-social behaviour that has a detrimental effect on others’ quality of life. In the refreshed statutory guidance on the use of the powers provided by the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, which was published on 24 December 2017, we stressed the importance of ensuring that all the relevant legal tests are met before making such an order. We also said that powers should be used appropriately to provide a proportionate response to the behaviour in question.
The Home Office is aware of Ealing Council’s decision to introduce a Public Spaces Protection Order outside the Marie Stopes abortion clinic in Ealing. This will be considered as part of the current Abortion Clinic Protest Review.