Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she received the letter from hon. Members from Greater Manchester headed Supporting Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Greater Manchester, sent on 12 November 2021; and when she plans to reply to that letter.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
A reply was sent by the Minister for Afghan Resettlement on 4 February 2022.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2022 to Question 119446 on Animal and Plant Health Agency: Border Force, what steps she is taking to help ensure that Border Force continues to work closely with the Animal and Plant Health Agency on vehicles suspected of being involved in the Puppy Smuggling industry.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
1) The decision to limit the detention time to 30 minutes from the point of notifying APHA was an agreed position between Border Force and APHA at Dover. The SLA commenced on the 24 January and its effectiveness will be assessed after 3 months.
2) Border Force and Defra meet regularly at the Border Force and Defra Steering Group to discuss ways of working to combat puppy smuggling. Border Force continues to work closely with APHA, referring every case identified at the border for the appropriate action.
3) Border Force and APHA have no plans to publish the local operational agreement between Border Force and the Animal and Plant Health Agency at the Port of Dover.
4) There have been no vehicles requiring referral to APAH since the commencement of the SLA.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2022 to Question 119446 on Animal and Plant Health Agency: Border Force, if she will publish recent changes made to the operational agreement between Border Force and the Animal and Plant Health Agency at the Port of Dover.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
1) The decision to limit the detention time to 30 minutes from the point of notifying APHA was an agreed position between Border Force and APHA at Dover. The SLA commenced on the 24 January and its effectiveness will be assessed after 3 months.
2) Border Force and Defra meet regularly at the Border Force and Defra Steering Group to discuss ways of working to combat puppy smuggling. Border Force continues to work closely with APHA, referring every case identified at the border for the appropriate action.
3) Border Force and APHA have no plans to publish the local operational agreement between Border Force and the Animal and Plant Health Agency at the Port of Dover.
4) There have been no vehicles requiring referral to APAH since the commencement of the SLA.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2022 to Question 119446 on Animal and Plant Health Agency: Border Force, how many vehicles have been released from consignment at the Port of Dover following recent changes to the operational agreement between the Animal and Plant Health Agency and Border Force.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
1) The decision to limit the detention time to 30 minutes from the point of notifying APHA was an agreed position between Border Force and APHA at Dover. The SLA commenced on the 24 January and its effectiveness will be assessed after 3 months.
2) Border Force and Defra meet regularly at the Border Force and Defra Steering Group to discuss ways of working to combat puppy smuggling. Border Force continues to work closely with APHA, referring every case identified at the border for the appropriate action.
3) Border Force and APHA have no plans to publish the local operational agreement between Border Force and the Animal and Plant Health Agency at the Port of Dover.
4) There have been no vehicles requiring referral to APAH since the commencement of the SLA.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2022 to Question 119446, on Animal and Plant Health Agency: Border Force, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of Border Force’s decision to limit the consignment time to thirty minutes for vehicles suspected to be involved in the puppy smuggling industry.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
1) The decision to limit the detention time to 30 minutes from the point of notifying APHA was an agreed position between Border Force and APHA at Dover. The SLA commenced on the 24 January and its effectiveness will be assessed after 3 months.
2) Border Force and Defra meet regularly at the Border Force and Defra Steering Group to discuss ways of working to combat puppy smuggling. Border Force continues to work closely with APHA, referring every case identified at the border for the appropriate action.
3) Border Force and APHA have no plans to publish the local operational agreement between Border Force and the Animal and Plant Health Agency at the Port of Dover.
4) There have been no vehicles requiring referral to APAH since the commencement of the SLA.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the Border Force guidance is for handling detained vehicles which are suspected to be involved in the illegal puppy smuggling industry.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
Border Force has extensive powers to examine and control traffic for a wide variety of purposes, and through its work at the border is able to examine vehicles and freight and ensure detections of illegal imports are referred to the most relevant authority or enforcement agency for action.
If live animals are detected, Border Force is responsible for the detention of the animals and vehicle, and then referring to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) at the appropriate border control post for further enforcement action.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of Hezbollah's Foreign Relations Department since its full proscription.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Government assesses proscription is a powerful tool within the counter-terrorism toolkit. In addition to the criminal offences associated with proscription, the tool can have a powerful impact on behaviour and disincentivise people from becoming members or supporters of a proscribed organisation, as well as supporting other forms of disruptive activity, including asset freezing and the take down of online content.
Since the extension of Hizballah’s proscription in 2019, the Government has also extended the UK’s domestic asset freeze to cover the group in its entirety.
Investigations into the activities of proscribed organisations, or individuals who may be members or supporters of proscribed organisations, are an operational matter for the police and intelligence agencies. It would not be appropriate to publish data on intelligence related matters.
The Government does not routinely comment on intelligence matters, including whether groups are, or are not, being considered for proscription.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether any secondary or corollary designations have been made since Hezbollah was fully proscribed.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Government assesses proscription is a powerful tool within the counter-terrorism toolkit. In addition to the criminal offences associated with proscription, the tool can have a powerful impact on behaviour and disincentivise people from becoming members or supporters of a proscribed organisation, as well as supporting other forms of disruptive activity, including asset freezing and the take down of online content.
Since the extension of Hizballah’s proscription in 2019, the Government has also extended the UK’s domestic asset freeze to cover the group in its entirety.
Investigations into the activities of proscribed organisations, or individuals who may be members or supporters of proscribed organisations, are an operational matter for the police and intelligence agencies. It would not be appropriate to publish data on intelligence related matters.
The Government does not routinely comment on intelligence matters, including whether groups are, or are not, being considered for proscription.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has taken steps to use the expanded law enforcement authority following Hezbollah's proscription.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Government assesses proscription is a powerful tool within the counter-terrorism toolkit. In addition to the criminal offences associated with proscription, the tool can have a powerful impact on behaviour and disincentivise people from becoming members or supporters of a proscribed organisation, as well as supporting other forms of disruptive activity, including asset freezing and the take down of online content.
Since the extension of Hizballah’s proscription in 2019, the Government has also extended the UK’s domestic asset freeze to cover the group in its entirety.
Investigations into the activities of proscribed organisations, or individuals who may be members or supporters of proscribed organisations, are an operational matter for the police and intelligence agencies. It would not be appropriate to publish data on intelligence related matters.
The Government does not routinely comment on intelligence matters, including whether groups are, or are not, being considered for proscription.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of fully proscribing Hezbollah in 2019.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Government assesses proscription is a powerful tool within the counter-terrorism toolkit. In addition to the criminal offences associated with proscription, the tool can have a powerful impact on behaviour and disincentivise people from becoming members or supporters of a proscribed organisation, as well as supporting other forms of disruptive activity, including asset freezing and the take down of online content.
Since the extension of Hizballah’s proscription in 2019, the Government has also extended the UK’s domestic asset freeze to cover the group in its entirety.
Investigations into the activities of proscribed organisations, or individuals who may be members or supporters of proscribed organisations, are an operational matter for the police and intelligence agencies. It would not be appropriate to publish data on intelligence related matters.
The Government does not routinely comment on intelligence matters, including whether groups are, or are not, being considered for proscription.