Asked by: Chris Williamson (Independent - Derby North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the implications for her policy of Clause 1 of Article 4 of the Extradition Treaty between the UK Government and the US Administration which states that Extradition shall not be granted if the offense for which extradition is requested is a political offense.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
The consideration of whether an offence for which extradition is requested is a political offence is implicit in UK law under section 81 of the 2003 Extradition Act, which states:
“A person’s extradition to a category 2 territory is barred by reason of extraneous considerations if (and only if) it appears that—
(a)the request for his extradition (though purporting to be made on account of the extradition offence) is in fact made for the purpose of prosecuting or punishing him on account of his race, religion, nationality, gender, sexual orientation or political opinions, or
(b)if extradited he might be prejudiced at his trial or punished, detained or restricted in his personal liberty by reason of his race, religion, nationality, gender, sexual orientation or political opinions.”
The determination of whether extraneous considerations apply is made by the appropriate judge, entirely independently of the Government.
Asked by: Chris Williamson (Independent - Derby North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he has taken to ensure the effectiveness of the recruitment policies for (a) nurses and (b) care workers from (i) EU and (ii) non-EU countries after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
In December 2018, the Government set out its proposals in “the UK’s future Skills-based Immigration System” White Paper. The White Paper proposals include a new route for skilled workers which will be open to anyone at RQF level 3 and above, irrespective of where they are applying from. This route will not be capped allowing all of those who meet our requirements to come to the UK.
The White Paper also includes a transitional route for temporary workers which will be open to anyone from qualifying countries, wishing to fill positions at any skill level, for up to 12 months. We do not intend to impose a cap on the number of people wishing to use the route.
Asked by: Chris Williamson (Independent - Derby North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many individuals who have the right to work in the UK have no recourse to public funds.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
There are a number of forms of leave that can be granted which give the right to work in the UK but with no recourse to public funds. This is underpinned by Part 5A of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002.
We do not routinely record information centrally on individuals who have the right to work in the UK without recourse to public funds.
Asked by: Chris Williamson (Independent - Derby North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department has made any payments to The Bulldog Trust in each financial year since 2015-16.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Home Office has no record of any payments made to The Bulldog Trust in each financial year from 2015-16 up to and including 2017-18 only.
Asked by: Chris Williamson (Independent - Derby North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what funding his Department has allocated to the Active Change Foundation in each financial year since 2008-09.
Answered by Ben Wallace
Prevent funding is prioritised based on threat and risk across England and Wales. Priority areas receive funding for people and projects delivered by civil society organisations that counter terrorist narratives and build resilience in communities against radicalisation.
The Home Office does not provide information regarding individual funding allocations of local Prevent projects
Asked by: Chris Williamson (Independent - Derby North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Policing and the Fire Service of 20 November 2017, Official Report, column 713, what the evidential basis is for the £2.3 billion of public money in the fire service cited.
Answered by Nick Hurd
DCLG publish financial information from all local authorities. The information on Fire and Rescue Authority reserves as at March 2017 can be found at the following link; https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/local-authority-revenue-expenditure-and-financing-england-2016-to-2017-individual-local-authority-data-outturn.
Fire and Rescue is funded via revenue support grant (RSG), retained business rates and council tax (precept). Fire and Rescue also receive national resilience grants directly from the Home Office which in 2017/18 are worth £28m. DCLG settlement documents showing allocations for RSG and business rates can be found here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-government-finance-report-2017-to-2018. DCLG also publishes core spending power for all local authorities (core spending power includes revenue support grant, retained business rates and council tax). This can be found at the following link https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/core-spending-power-final-local-government-finance-settlement-2017-to-2018
Asked by: Chris Williamson (Independent - Derby North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Policing and the Fire Service of 20 November 2017, Official Report, column 712, what the evidential basis is for the £616 million of reserves cited.
Answered by Nick Hurd
DCLG publish financial information from all local authorities. The information on Fire and Rescue Authority reserves as at March 2017 can be found at the following link; https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/local-authority-revenue-expenditure-and-financing-england-2016-to-2017-individual-local-authority-data-outturn.
Fire and Rescue is funded via revenue support grant (RSG), retained business rates and council tax (precept). Fire and Rescue also receive national resilience grants directly from the Home Office which in 2017/18 are worth £28m. DCLG settlement documents showing allocations for RSG and business rates can be found here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-government-finance-report-2017-to-2018. DCLG also publishes core spending power for all local authorities (core spending power includes revenue support grant, retained business rates and council tax). This can be found at the following link https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/core-spending-power-final-local-government-finance-settlement-2017-to-2018
Asked by: Chris Williamson (Independent - Derby North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Police and Crime Commissioners are developing proposals to take on governance of fire and rescue services.
Answered by Nick Hurd
On 01 October 2017, Roger Hirst (Essex) formally became the first Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner in the country following the approval of his proposal submitted in June, which the Home Secretary judged to be in the interests of economy, efficiency and effectiveness and to have no adverse effect on public safety.
The Home Office has received six further proposals from Police and Crime Commissioners seeking to take on governance of fire and rescue. These are: Northamptonshire , Hertfordshire, Staffordshire, Cambridgeshire, West Mercia and North Yorkshire.