Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what mechanisms and structures have been agreed between the EU and the UK on future security co-operation.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The safety and security of our citizens is the Government’s top priority.
The Trade Co-operation Agreement (TCA) was signed by the EU and the UK on 30 December. The agreement delivers a comprehensive package of capabilities that ensures we can work with counterparts across Europe to tackle serious crime and terrorism – protecting the public and bringing criminals to justice.
This includes: streamlined extradition arrangements which prevent disproportionate extradition requests and long periods of pre-trial detention; effective operational co-operation with Europol and Eurojust that reflects the scale of our contribution to these agencies; fast and effective exchange of national DNA, fingerprint and vehicle registration data via the Prüm system; fast and effective arrangements for exchanging criminal records data via shared technical infrastructure; the continued transfer of Passenger Name Record (PNR) data from the EU; and arrangements that will simplify and speed up cooperation with EU Member States on mutual legal assistance and asset freezing and confiscation. The agreement also provides an additional basis for bilateral law enforcement cooperation to continue between the UK and EU Member States. This includes information sharing in response to requests, as well as on a spontaneous basis, such as information on wanted and missing persons and objects.
Further detail on the Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice co-operation elements of the TCA are available on GOV.UK.
The UK is, and will continue to be, a global leader on security and one of the safest countries in the world.
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect of the covid-19 pandemic on the Common Travel Area.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Government is committed to maintaining the Common Travel Area arrangements and has done so throughout the pandemic. There continue to be no routine immigration controls on journeys from within the CTA to the UK, with no immigration controls whatsoever on the land border.
Those arriving in England from within the CTA will only be required to provide locator details and self-isolate in certain circumstances. These requirements apply to all nationalities, including British and Irish nationals.
The Government has also announced passengers arriving from all international destinations will be required to present a negative COVID-19 test result before entering England. However, people travelling to England from within the Common Travel Area will be exempt.
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people convicted of terrorism-related charges have been released in each year since 2010.
Answered by James Brokenshire
The Home Office collects data from Her Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service and the Scottish Prisons Service on the number of terrorist prisoners released in Great Britain.
These data are published quarterly in ‘Operation of police powers under the Terrorism Act 2000 statistics’, which are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/operation-of-police-powers-under-the-terrorism-act-2000
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been re-arrested after being released on terrorism-related charges in each year since 2020; and what proportion that number is of the total number of people arrested on terrorism-related charges in each of those years.
Answered by James Brokenshire
The Home Office collects data from the National Counter Terrorism Policing Operations Centre on how many people have been arrested and charged with terrorism-related offences in Great Britain. These data are published quarterly in ‘Operation of police powers under the Terrorism Act 2000 statistics’, which are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/operation-of-police-powers-under-the-terrorism-act-2000
Information on how many of these are re-arrests after being released on terrorism-related charges is not collected by the Home Office.
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the hon. Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the appeals process against consistory court decisions to the Provincial Court of the Archbishop.
Answered by Andrew Selous - Second Church Estates Commissioner
It is possible to appeal the decision of a consistory court to the provincial court of the Archbishop, with the permission of the consistory court or of the appeal court, provided that the appeal does not relate to a question of doctrine, ritual or ceremonial. The Provincial Courts of Canterbury and York are known by the names ‘The Court of Arches’ and ‘The Chancery Court of York’.
As in a temporal court the test for whether to grant permission to appeal is the same, i.e whether the appeal has a real prospect of success or there is some other compelling reason why the appeal should be heard.
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 22 July 2019 to Question 277618 on Hezbollah, whether it remains her policy to not collect data on the number of Hezbollah members or supporters in the UK.
Answered by James Brokenshire
The Government takes proscription offences seriously. However, 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 publishes quarterly national statistics on the use of police powers under the Terrorism Act 2000 and subsequent relevant legislation in Great Britain. This includes information on arrests, charges and convictions for proscription offences. The most recent publication up to year ending June 2020, was published on 17 September on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/operation-of-police-powers-under-the-terrorism-act-2000-quarterly-update-to-june-2020.
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what provision there is for mutual aid between counter terrorism policing and the National Crime Agency.
Answered by James Brokenshire
CT policing and the NCA have a well-established relationship and along with other operational partners, collaborate closely to tackle a range national security threats and safeguard the country. This cooperation includes sharing resources, intelligence, specialist capabilities and facilities as well as providing operational support or undertaking joint operations.
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the status is of the Proscription Review Group; and when that Group last met.
Answered by James Brokenshire
The Proscription Review Group (PRG), a cross–Government group supporting the Home Secretary in her decision making on proscription issues, remains active. The Government does not comment on intelligence matters and it would not be appropriate to comment on the timing of PRG meetings.
We keep the keep the list of proscribed organisations under regular review. This year, in February and July respectively, we have proscribed the right-wing terrorist groups Sonnenkrieg Division and Feuerkrieg Division.
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the announcement of 30 March 2020 on £500,000 funding for victims of terrorism, how many applications she has received to date; how much of that funding has been distributed; how many (a) organisations and (b) people have received such funding; and how much each of those organisations and individuals have received.
Answered by James Brokenshire
Unfortunately, given that this grant competition is still in progress, we are unable to provide the requested information at this time. Any award announcement will be published on Contracts Finder: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search.
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department has spent on counter-terrorism programmes in each year since 2010.
Answered by James Brokenshire
Overall net spending for the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism is published annually in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts. This information is broken down by administration, programme and capital expenditure.
This information can be found via the following links:
FY 2018-19 - pages 99-100
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/807126/6.5571_HO_Annual_Report_201920_WEB.PDF
FY 2017-18 – pages 91-92
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/727179/6_4360_HO_Annual_report_WEB.PDF
FY 2016-17 – pages 82-83
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/627853/ho_annual_report_and_accounts_2016_2017.pdf
FY 2015-16 – pages 101-102
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/539638/HO_AR_16_gov.pdf
FY 2014-15 – pages 93-94
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/441282/HO-AR15_web.pdf
FY 2013-14 – pages 81-82
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/321446/ARA_web_enabled_18_June.pdf
FY 2012-13 – pages 116-117
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/210660/Annual_Report_and_Accounts_FINAL_updated_logo.pdf
FY 2011-12 – pages 120-121
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/143619/annual-report-2011-12.pdf
FY 2010-11 – pages 39-40
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/120048/annual-report-201011.pdf