Asked by: Nic Dakin (Labour - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department has had discussions with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on the UK Steel charter.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
We have discussed the procurement of steel with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which has asked all Government departments to consider guidance on steel procurement and to notify of any upcoming opportunities for industry.
More broadly, the Government is committed to supporting the steel sector to realise the broader commercial opportunities that are open to it, which could be worth an additional £3.8 billion a year by 2030. We are establishing the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund – backed by up to £315m of investment – to help businesses with high energy use (including steel companies) to cut their bills and transition UK industry to a low carbon future. We are also providing up to £66m through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund to help steel and other foundation industries develop radical new technologies.
Asked by: Nic Dakin (Labour - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether EU nationals that have resided in the UK for (a) under and (b) over 10 years will be able to travel outside of the UK on a two week vacation without that affecting their (i) right to return and (ii) other legal rights to reside in the UK after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
EU citizens’ rights to return to, and reside in, the UK after a two week vacation will not be affected if they were lawfully resident before leaving the UK, regardless of how long they have lived in the UK.
Asked by: Nic Dakin (Labour - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department took to ensure that the changes made to firefighters’ pensions in 2015 were compliant with equality legislation when those changes were implemented; and how his Department ensures that policy making is equality legislation compliant.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The changes made to firefighters’ pensions by DCLG (now MHCLG) in 2015 were part of an overarching pensions reform programme which applied to all public service pension schemes and included equality checks and public consultation on equality issues. When considering reforms to the secondary legislation which underpins the firefighters’ pension scheme, the Home Office has proper regard to its public sector equality duty and follows the appropriate consultation process.
Asked by: Nic Dakin (Labour - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he plans to answer Questions 146839 and 163094, on criminal proceedings, tabled on 22 May and 11 July 2018 respectively by the hon. Member for Scunthorpe; and for what reasons he has so far not responded to those Questions.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The responses for UIN 146839 and 163094 were answered on 25th July 2018.
Asked by: Nic Dakin (Labour - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he plans to respond to Question 146839, on criminal proceedings, tabled by the hon. Member for Scunthorpe 22 May 2018.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The response for UIN 146839 was given on the 25th July 2018.
Asked by: Nic Dakin (Labour - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment his Department has made of the reasons why the number of criminal charges in England and Wales reduced by 11 per cent while the number of recorded crimes rose by 21 per cent between 2014 and 2017; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The likelihood of a crime resulting in a charge can vary for a number of reasons, including the complexity or severity of an offence or the difficulty in identifying a suspect.
Changes in charge rates are likely to be the result of a combination of improved crime recording by the police and forces taking on more complex crimes which take longer to receive an outcome, such as domestic abuse or sexual offences.
The statistics show that there has been a societal shift towards victims reporting ‘hidden’ crimes to the police and we welcome that more victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence are feeling empowered to come forward.
We recognise that demand on the police is changing. We have responded positively by providing a strong and comprehensive settlement that is increasing total investment in the police system by over £460m in 2018/19. This includes £50m for Counter-Terrorism, £130m for national priorities and £280m in force funding from increases in Council Tax precept income.
Asked by: Nic Dakin (Labour - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he is taking steps to ensure a consistent standard of video surveillance systems and readers so that all CCTV recordings are accessible (a) to the police and security services and (b) during criminal trials; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The role of the Surveillance Camera Commissioner is to encourage compliance with the surveillance camera code of practice. The code provides guidance on the appropriate and effective use of surveillance camera systems by relevant authorities (as defined by section 33 of the Protection of Freedoms 2012 Act). These relevant authorities include police forces and the National Crime Agency. Other operators and users of surveillance camera systems in England and Wales are encouraged to adopt the code voluntarily.
The code also sets out guiding principles that should apply to all surveillance camera systems in public places. One of these principles is that systems are capable of providing good quality images and other information which are fit for purpose.
In addition, as part of the CJS efficiency programme ‘ClickShare’ technology has been rolled out across criminal courts in England and Wales. ClickShare equipment and software can be used to present evidence in court such as CCTV footage.
Asked by: Nic Dakin (Labour - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary for State for Defence in on the Army's role in supporting Fire and Rescue Service in relation to the Lancashire moorland fires.
Answered by Nick Hurd
There have not been discussions between the Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for Defence on the Army’s role in supporting Fire and Rescue Service in relation to the Lancashire moorland fires. At the time of this response, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service have not requested any military support to help fight these fires. However, the Government stands ready to respond to formal requests for additional help and support.
Asked by: Nic Dakin (Labour - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much resource police allocated to investigating crimes in (a) Humberside and (b) England in each year from 2010 to 2017.
Answered by Nick Hurd
We are helping the police to respond to changing demand with a £460m increase in overall funding in 2018/19, including precept. Most PCCs have committed to protecting or increase frontline policing this year.
The Home Office does not centrally hold information on police expenditure on investigating crimes.
Asked by: Nic Dakin (Labour - Scunthorpe)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 31 May 2018 to Question 146837, what information his Department collects on resourcing for specific police functions and job roles; and what assessment his Department has made of the effect on the number of successful prosecutions of not collecting information on the number of officers employed as detectives.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Home Office collects and publishes information on the primary roles that police officers, police staff and police community support officers perform, by Police Force Area, in England and Wales. These data are published annually as part of the 'Police workforce, England and Wales' statistical bulletin, the latest of which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-workforce-england-and-wales-31-march-2017
The latest available data, which covers the situation as at 31 March 2017, can be found in Table F1, F2 and F3 of the data tables accompanying the main release. Police workers with multiple responsibilities are recorded under their primary function. Figures are presented on a full-time equivalent basis.
The next available data, covering the picture as at 31 March 2018, is scheduled for publication on 19 July, and will be available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-workforce-england-and-wales
We are helping the police respond to changing demand with a £460m increase in overall funding 2018/19, including through Council Tax precept. Decisions on resources, including the number of detectives employed and how they are deployed is a matter for Police and Crime Commissioners and Chief Constables.