Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of requiring shops to hide knives for sale from public view.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Since 2016 there has been a voluntary agreement between the Home Office and most major high street retailers on the responsible sale of knives. The purpose of the agreement is to set out best practice around the sale of knives, including age verification and display.
Retailers who are signatories are required to ensure knives are displayed and packaged securely as appropriate to minimise risk. This should include retailers taking practical and proportionate steps to restrict accessibility and avoid immediate use, to reduce the possibility of injury, and to prevent theft.
We are clear that knives should be sold responsibly. Through measures in the Crime and Policing Bill, which is currently making its way through Parliament, we are increasing the maximum penalties for selling knives to those under the age of 18 and selling prohibited weapons to 2 years imprisonment.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will have discussions with the Leader of the House on ensuring parliamentary time to (a) debate and (b) vote on the Government’s treaty with Rwanda within the timeframe outlined in the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
The Government places great importance in providing opportunity for parliamentary scrutiny. We have sought to provide this opportunity during various parliamentary activity, but most notably as part of the passage of the Bill which is intrinsically linked and gives legal effect to the treaty. Most recently, we have had the two days of Commons Committee stage (Tuesday 16 and Wednesday 17 January) on the floor of House, allowing members to scrutinise this policy. We look forward to debating all aspects of the Bill as it is scrutinised by both Houses.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to help prevent fires caused by (a) e-bikes, (b) conversion kits and (c) e-scooters.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
The Home Office is promoting fire safety messages, through its Fire Kills campaign, to educate consumers on safe charging and storage of e-bikes and e-scooters in the home and to recommend that only professionals carry out conversions.
The advice, also published on FireEngland.uk, supports that issued by London Fire Brigade’s #ChargeSafe campaign. The Home Office has made these materials available to fire and rescue services to use in their local fire prevention activity.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Fraud Strategy: stopping scams and protecting the public, published in May 2023, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of appointing a senior judge to lead that review.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat
As announced in the Fraud Strategy, the Home Office, in collaboration with the Attorney General’s Office and the Ministry of Justice, will shortly launch an independent review into the challenges of investigating and prosecuting fraud.
The review will consider the following:
Phase 1
Phase 2
The terms of reference will be published once a review chair is in post and the review is launched. The Home Office is working with the Ministry of Justice to identify suitable candidates to lead the review.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Fraud Strategy: stopping scams and protecting the public, published in May 2023, whether she plans to publish the terms of reference on the proposed review of the disclosure regime.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat
As announced in the Fraud Strategy, the Home Office, in collaboration with the Attorney General’s Office and the Ministry of Justice, will shortly launch an independent review into the challenges of investigating and prosecuting fraud.
The review will consider the following:
Phase 1
Phase 2
The terms of reference will be published once a review chair is in post and the review is launched. The Home Office is working with the Ministry of Justice to identify suitable candidates to lead the review.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to page 21 of her Department's policy paper entitled Fraud Strategy: stopping scams and protecting the public, published in May 2023, when she plans to launch the first phase of the independent review on the disclosure regime.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat
As announced in the Fraud Strategy, the Home Office, in collaboration with the Attorney General’s Office and the Ministry of Justice, will shortly launch an independent review into the challenges of investigating and prosecuting fraud.
The review will consider the following:
Phase 1
Phase 2
The terms of reference will be published once a review chair is in post and the review is launched. The Home Office is working with the Ministry of Justice to identify suitable candidates to lead the review.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith and Chiswick)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Thousands of asylum seekers to be moved out of hotels, published on 5 June 2023, what site in West London is being used to house asylum seekers; what hotels her Department plans to use to accommodate asylum seekers in (a) Hammersmith and Fulham and (b) Kensington and Chelsea; and what her Department's planned timescales are for the use of those sites to house asylum seekers.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The specific location of any of our asylum accommodation is not put in the public domain in order to maintain the privacy and security of those accommodated.