Asked by: Bob Seely (Conservative - Isle of Wight)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her Department has to designate the Wagner Group as a terrorist organisation.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)
Whilst the Government keeps the list of proscribed organisations under review, we do not routinely comment on whether an organisation is or is not under consideration for proscription.
The Government remains concerned about Russia's use of private military companies such as the Wagner Group. We take the provision of mercenaries and other military support to parties in conflicts such as Libya, Syria, Ukraine and elsewhere very seriously. We continue to work closely with our international partners to counter Russian malign activity and respond to actions that undermine the rules based international system.
Our package of sanctions in support of Ukraine targets those aiding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This includes the Wagner Group and on 24 March 2022 the UK designated Wagner Group under our autonomous sanctions regime.
Asked by: Bob Seely (Conservative - Isle of Wight)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she is taking steps to classify the Wagner group as a proscribed terrorist organisation.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)
Whilst the Government keeps the list of proscribed organisations under review, we do not routinely comment on whether an organisation is or is not under consideration for proscription.
The Government remains concerned about Russia's use of private military companies such as the Wagner Group. We take the provision of mercenaries and other military support to parties in conflicts such as Libya, Syria, Ukraine and elsewhere very seriously. We continue to work closely with our international partners to counter Russian malign activity and respond to actions that undermine the rules based international system.
Our package of sanctions in support of Ukraine targets those aiding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This includes the Wagner Group and on 24 March 2022 the UK designated Wagner Group under our autonomous sanctions regime.
Asked by: Bob Seely (Conservative - Isle of Wight)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help prevent (a) petty crimes and (b) anti-social behaviour in (i) rural and (ii) isolated communities.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Beating Crime Plan published on 27 July 2021 laid out the Government’s commitment to drive down levels of crime and anti-social behaviour.
We are giving the police the resources they need by recruiting an additional 20,000 officers by March 2023. The deployment of all officers remains an operational decision for Chief Constables.
The Government is committed to tackling all forms of anti-social behaviour (ASB) wherever it may be taking place. We provided the police, local authorities, and other local agencies with a range of tools and powers that they can flexibly use to respond quickly and effectively to ASB through the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.
Asked by: Bob Seely (Conservative - Isle of Wight)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Home Office has domestic procurement targets for Border Patrol vessels.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The procurement for the new fleet of Border Force vessels has yet to be launched and as such decisions on issues such as that raised have yet to be made.
We can confirm however that the procurement will, consistent with the National Shipbuilding Strategy currently being refreshed, provide opportunities for UK suppliers to bid for contracts and ensure that best value for money is obtained.
Asked by: Bob Seely (Conservative - Isle of Wight)
Question to the Home Office:
What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that British shipyards can compete in procurement processes for UK Border Force vessels.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Earlier this year, the Secretary of State for Defence announced a refresh of the National Shipbuilding Strategy. This will outline the Government’s plans for shipbuilding programmes and how it intends to set the conditions for a globally successful, innovative and sustainable national shipbuilding enterprise.
Naturally, the Home Office and specifically Border Force is fully engaged with the strategy refresh as part of its programme to renew our maritime capabilities.
Asked by: Bob Seely (Conservative - Isle of Wight)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if the Government will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals on foreign agents' registration.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
This is a thorough process to assess whether additional powers are required to clamp down on the activities of hostile states which threaten the UK, both here and overseas.
As part of this, we are considering like-minded international partners’ legislation to see whether the UK would benefit from adopting something similar.
This work is ongoing.
Asked by: Bob Seely (Conservative - Isle of Wight)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding his Department has allocated to programmes overseas that is not part of Official Development Assistance in each of the last three years; and how much such funding his Department plans to allocate in each of the next two years.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The government publishes the threshold which would need to be crossed in order for a written question to be responded.
To obtain the information requested would exceed the disproportinate cost threshold.