Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she plans to take to help tackle the transportation of illegal drugs through county lines in (a) Yeovil constituency and (b) Somerset.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
To deliver our pledge to halve knife crime in the next decade, it is crucial that we tackle the drug gangs that run county lines through violence and exploitation.
Through the County Lines Programme, we will continue to target exploitative drug dealing gangs whilst breaking the organised crime groups behind this vile trade. Between July and September 2024, policing activity delivered through the County Lines Programme has resulted in over 400 deal lines being closed, the arrest and charge of over 200 deal line holders, 500 arrests and 800 safeguarding referrals of children and vulnerable people.
While the majority of lines originate from the areas covered by the Metropolitan Police Service, West Midlands Police, Merseyside Police, and Greater Manchester Police, county lines is a national issue. This is why, through the Home Office-funded County Lines Programme, we fund the National County Lines Co-ordination Centre to monitor the intelligence picture and co-ordinate the national law enforcement response. In addition, we have a dedicated surge fund which provides local forces with additional funding to tackle county lines, including Avon & Somerset Police.
As part of the Programme, the National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC) regularly coordinates weeks of intensive action against county lines gangs, which all police forces take part in. The most recent of these took place between 25 November to 1 December 2024, during which Avon and Somerset Police made 17 arrests, seized 5 drug lines and referred 5 vulnerable people to safeguarding services.
As committed to in the Government’s manifesto, we are introducing a new offence of child criminal exploitation in the Crime and Policing Bill to go after the gangs who are luring children into violence and crime.
We are also providing specialist support for children and young people to escape county lines and child criminal exploitation and will deliver on our manifesto commitment to roll out further support through Prevention Partnerships to intervene earlier to ensure young people vulnerable to being drawn into crime are identified and offered support in a more systematic way.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help prevent the exploitation of vulnerable children by county lines gangs in (a) Yeovil constituency and (b) Somerset.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
To deliver our pledge to halve knife crime in the next decade, it is crucial that we tackle the drug gangs that run county lines through violence and exploitation.
Through the County Lines Programme, we will continue to target exploitative drug dealing gangs whilst breaking the organised crime groups behind this vile trade. Between July and September 2024, policing activity delivered through the County Lines Programme has resulted in over 400 deal lines being closed, the arrest and charge of over 200 deal line holders, 500 arrests and 800 safeguarding referrals of children and vulnerable people.
While the majority of lines originate from the areas covered by the Metropolitan Police Service, West Midlands Police, Merseyside Police, and Greater Manchester Police, county lines is a national issue. This is why, through the Home Office-funded County Lines Programme, we fund the National County Lines Co-ordination Centre to monitor the intelligence picture and co-ordinate the national law enforcement response. In addition, we have a dedicated surge fund which provides local forces with additional funding to tackle county lines, including Avon & Somerset Police.
As part of the Programme, the National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC) regularly coordinates weeks of intensive action against county lines gangs, which all police forces take part in. The most recent of these took place between 25 November to 1 December 2024, during which Avon and Somerset Police made 17 arrests, seized 5 drug lines and referred 5 vulnerable people to safeguarding services.
As committed to in the Government’s manifesto, we are introducing a new offence of child criminal exploitation in the Crime and Policing Bill to go after the gangs who are luring children into violence and crime.
We are also providing specialist support for children and young people to escape county lines and child criminal exploitation and will deliver on our manifesto commitment to roll out further support through Prevention Partnerships to intervene earlier to ensure young people vulnerable to being drawn into crime are identified and offered support in a more systematic way.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of funding twenty years' service medals for Police Community Support Officers as recognition of their service to their community.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office will consider any proposal for national long service recognition for Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs). It is only right that we recognise the commitment shown by PCSOs across the country and whose role are undeniably at the sharp end of policing, diffusing community tensions and providing visible policing presence in our communities.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to support Ukrainians staying in (a) Yeovil constituency, (b) Somerset, and (c) the South West of England in the long term.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Councils receive integration funding of £5,900 per Homes for Ukraine arrival to support guests to rebuild their lives and fully integrate into communities. All councils have the flexibility to use this funding as best suits the local area and the specific needs of the Ukrainian guests that they support. This could include measures to support guests to access employment, develop their English language skills, and access privately rented accommodation.
The Department for Education supports adults aged 19+ in England who do not have English as a first language to access ESOL provision via the Adult Skills Fund.
Thank-you payments to sponsors of Homes for Ukraine guests have also been extended for 18-months under the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme, to support guests who wish to remain in sponsorship and provide enough time for guests and sponsors to plan for next steps.
All Ukraine visa holders have rights to work, live and study as well as access to healthcare and welfare support in the UK.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with farmers in (a) Yeovil constituency and (b) south Somerset on the closure of the Sustainable Farming Initiative.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra ministers are engaging with farmers and stakeholders regarding the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI). On the SFI, Ministers have met specifically with the NFU, National Beef Association, British Poultry Council, Soil Association, Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers, National Pig Association, National Sheep Association, British Egg Industry Council, National Federation of Young Farmers, British Free Range Egg Producers Association, LAA, Tenant Farmers Association and Country, Land and Business Association.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the application window for the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme to three months.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The 28-day window for applications to be submitted helps ensure effective operational planning and sufficient biometric enrolment capacity across all visa routes, which ultimately allows us to deliver the most efficient service for customers.
Those who apply before their current permission expires will retain the conditions of their current visa while their application is under consideration, enabling them to continue to exercise their rights to work, study, and live in the UK.
As with all aspects of our service delivery, this will continue to be monitored.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to enable Ukrainians living and working in (a) Yeovil Constituency, (b) Somerset, and (c) the South West of England to stay in the UK if there is peace in Ukraine.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
We continue to keep the Ukraine Schemes under review to ensure they continue to meet the needs of Ukrainians in the UK.
We recognise the Ukrainian government’s desire for the future return of its citizens to Ukraine. It is important our approach respects these wishes. This is why we have always been clear that the Ukraine schemes provide temporary sanctuary, and not a route to permanent settlement in the UK. There are other routes available for those who wish to settle in the UK permanently, if they meet the requirements.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason she removed the five year settled status pathway for Ukrainians living in the UK.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
We continue to keep the Ukraine Schemes under review to ensure they continue to meet the needs of Ukrainians in the UK.
We recognise the Ukrainian government’s desire for the future return of its citizens to Ukraine. It is important our approach respects these wishes. This is why we have always been clear that the Ukraine schemes provide temporary sanctuary, and not a route to permanent settlement in the UK. There are other routes available for those who wish to settle in the UK permanently, if they meet the requirements.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans she has to ensure that at least 50 per cent of the revenue from the lane rental scheme is reinvested in (a) road resurfacing and (b) pothole repairs.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Charges for works that overrun are already set at up to £10,000 per day. The Government announced in December that we will apply overrun charges to weekends and bank holidays. We also announced that local authorities operating lane rental schemes will be required to spend 50% of surplus lane rental charges on highway maintenance, The regulations implementing these changes will be laid later in 2025. They will also double the level of fixed penalty notices available for some street works offences.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she plans to take to increase the level of overrun charges for utility companies responsible for delayed road repairs.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Charges for works that overrun are already set at up to £10,000 per day. The Government announced in December that we will apply overrun charges to weekends and bank holidays. We also announced that local authorities operating lane rental schemes will be required to spend 50% of surplus lane rental charges on highway maintenance, The regulations implementing these changes will be laid later in 2025. They will also double the level of fixed penalty notices available for some street works offences.