Asked by: Angela Eagle (Labour - Wallasey)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of the backlog of correspondence at HM Passport Office on the adequacy of help for correspondents; what strategy is in place to clear that backlog; and what discretion will be in place for people who have been affected by that backlog.
Answered by Kevin Foster
Her Majesty’s Passport Office will always endeavour to ensure that correspondence is handled in a timely manner, however there are currently high levels of contact which is causing some delays. In light of this, a triage process is in place to support those with the most urgent needs. We are working to recruit additional staff to deal with enquiries, alongside using other contingency measures, such as overtime.
For those who need a British passport urgently on compassionate grounds they should continue to call the Passport Adviceline.
A British passport will not be issued until all checks have been satisfactorily completed, however passport applications continue to be typically processed well within the published guidance of up to ten weeks.
Asked by: Angela Eagle (Labour - Wallasey)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to improve conviction rates in cases of fraud.
Answered by Damian Hinds
The Government recognises that to improve conviction rates, there needs to be an increased pipeline of cases under investigation. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Service (HMICFRS) carried out an inspection of the police response to fraud in 2019. The review found that significant improvements are required to ensure the model works more effectively and efficiently, including the need for a much more co-ordinated national approach with clear roles and responsibilities.
In August 2021, a follow up review from the HMICFRS established that the majority of their initial recommendations had been met, citing improvements across numerous areas of the law enforcement response. Despite this, we know that more needs to be done to ensure law enforcement has the capacity and capability to respond effectively to fraud. We will continue to work with partners to act on outstanding HMICFRS recommendations and improve the law enforcement response at all levels moving forward.
We are also considering all routes, including legislation, to ensure that law enforcement have all the tools they need to go after fraudsters and crucially to protect those who are vulnerable to these harmful crimes
Asked by: Angela Eagle (Labour - Wallasey)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary State for the Home Department, what recent estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of abolishing the No Recourse to Public Funds condition.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
The principle of No Recourse Public Funds (NRPF) was established as far back as 1971 and is a condition which successive governments have applied to those in the UK with temporary immigration status. Migrants here without lawful status are also subject to NRPF.
NRPF restrictions are an important part of immigration policy designed to assure the public that controlled immigration brings real benefits to the UK, and does not place excessive demands upon the UK’s finite resources. We have no plans to lift or abolish the NRPF condition and have made no estimates of the cost of doing so.
Asked by: Angela Eagle (Labour - Wallasey)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an estimate of the cost to the public purse of removing the No Recourse to Public Funds condition from all people currently subject to that condition.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
The principle of No Recourse Public Funds (NRPF) was established as far back as 1971 and is a condition which successive governments have applied to those in the UK with temporary immigration status. Migrants here without lawful status are also subject to NRPF.
NRPF restrictions are an important part of immigration policy designed to assure the public that controlled immigration brings real benefits to the UK, and does not place excessive demands upon the UK’s finite resources. We have no plans to lift or abolish the NRPF condition and have made no estimates of the cost of doing so.
Asked by: Angela Eagle (Labour - Wallasey)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish the titles of the reviews that her Department is undertaking.
Answered by James Brokenshire
The titles of the reviews that the Department is currently undertaking are:(see attached table)
Review | Date Started | Expected Completion |
Review of Cannabis-based products for Medicinal Use in Humans | February 2020 | End of 2020 |
Urgent review of the classification of GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyric acid) and GBL (gamma-butyrolactone) and closely related compounds under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and the scheduling of both drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 | January 2020 | Autumn 2020 |
Independent review of the statutory multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA). Jointly with Ministry of Justice. | January 2020 | The review has been completed and will be published shortly |
Review of the support services provided to Victims of Terrorism | The review has not yet commenced | |
Independent Review of Prevent | August 2019 | August 2021[1] |
Roads Policing Review
| July 2019 | July 2021 |
Law Commission Review into Hate Crime legislation (jointly commissioned with Ministry of Justice) | October 2018 | |
Independent Review of the Border, Immigration and Citizenship System (BICS) | August 2019 | Summer 2020 |
Coercive or Controlling Behaviour Offence – Review of Effectiveness
| Summer 2019 | Autumn 2020 |
Review of the overall response to migrant victims of domestic abuse
| July 2019 | The evidence gathering phase of the review has been completed. We aim to set out our conclusions before Commons Report stage. |
Review of Pre-Charge Bail.
| November 2019 | Summer 2021 |
Review of the Health Measures at the Border | June 2020 | 29 June 2020 |
Air Weapons Review | October 2017 | Summer 2020 |
Independent review of Serious and Organised Crime | November 2019 | The review has been completed and the Government is considering its recommendations |
Rape Review (jointly with Ministry of Justice and Attorney General’s Office) | March 2019 | |
Independent Review of Drugs | February 2019 | Part 1 completed and published 27 February. DHSC commissioned a further (Part 2) drugs review of prevention, treatment and recovery, which is shortly to be launched. |
[1] The Counter Terrorism and Sentencing Bill which was introduced on 20 May 2020 seeks to remove the current statutory deadline for the completion of the Independent Review of Prevent (August 2020) as set out in the Counter Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019. | ||
Asked by: Angela Eagle (Labour - Wallasey)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to answer Question 4307 tabled on 16 January 2020.
Answered by James Brokenshire
The response for UIN 4307 was given on 26th June 2020.