Asked by: Damien Moore (Conservative - Southport)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the UK’s cooperation with EU counterparts on Hezbollah fundraising activities within the EU.
Answered by James Brokenshire
The UK has a strong reputation for tackling terrorist financing and we work very closely with international partners and financial institutions to exchange and analyse information. This ensures we are better able to detect, prevent and disrupt the movement of global terrorist funds. Our EU cooperation is part of a wider landscape of international counter terrorism work, which includes cooperation through relationships such as Interpol, the Five Eyes, and bilateral work with individual countries.
The entirety of Hizballah is proscribed and designated under the UK’s domestic counter terrorism sanctions regime (the Terrorist Asset-Freezing etc. Act 2010 (TAFA)). Hizballah’s Military Wing is also designated along with two named individuals associated with the group under the EU CP931 regime. The investigation and prosecution of offences relating to proscribed organisations is a matter for the police and the Crown Prosecution Service.
Asked by: Damien Moore (Conservative - Southport)
Question to the Home Office:
What steps she is taking to ensure that police officers have adequate powers and protection.
Answered by Priti Patel
This Government is committed to ensuring police have the powers they need to keep themselves and the public safe, that is why we have lifted restrictions on stop and search and committed £10m in ring-fenced funding for Taser.
We will also introduce a Police Protection Bill to give police the support and protection they need to do their jobs effectively and safely.
Asked by: Damien Moore (Conservative - Southport)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support is available to British Citizens applying under the British Subjects Facilities Act 1915.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
Marriage law within the United Kingdom is a devolved matter and the Home Office is only responsible for England and Wales.
A British subject resident within England and Wales, who wishes to marry outside of England and Wales, can obtain advice online at www.gov.uk/marriage-abroad. They can also obtain advice from their local register office and from a British embassy, High Commission, or Consulate within the country where they are marrying.
Ultimately it is for couples to contact the authorities in the country in which they wish to marry to ensure that they meet with the legal requirements of that country.
Asked by: Damien Moore (Conservative - Southport)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that employees do not suffer financial hardship as a result of untimely CRB processes.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) was established in 2012 and carries out the functions previously undertaken by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA).
The DBS’s complaints policy can be found at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/494019/Complaint_Policy_v2_7_Web_version.pdf
Asked by: Damien Moore (Conservative - Southport)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made over the effect of denied spousal visas on families across the UK.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The Supreme Court has upheld the lawfulness of the requirements of the Immigration Rules for spouse visas. The Rules, which include the minimum income and English language requirements, prevent burdens on the taxpayer and promote integration. The Supreme Court agreed that they strike a fair balance between the interests of those wishing to sponsor a non-European Economic Area national spouse to settle in the UK and of the community in general.
We continue to keep the family Immigration Rules under review and make adjustments in light of feedback on their operation and impact. Our overall assessment is that the family Immigration Rules are having the right impact and are helping to ensure public confidence in the immigration system.
Asked by: Damien Moore (Conservative - Southport)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support the Government plans to provide to NHS workers applying for EU settled status.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
EU citizens make a huge contribution to our economy and society, and we want them to stay. The EU Settlement Scheme enables them to do so. The application process is a streamlined and user-friendly online process which draws on existing government data to minimise any administrative burden on individuals.
We are working with a range of partners to ensure that EU citizens have the information and support they need. This includes partners in the health and social care sector. Staff from this sector were involved in the two private betas phases.
As the Prime Minister announced on 21 January, having listened to concerns from parliamentarians, campaign groups and the public, the Government will not charge an application fee so that there is no financial barrier for any EU citizens and their non-EU family members who wish to stay.
We are committed to supporting EU citizens to obtain UK immigration status and we will continue to engage with representative groups to ensure that user needs are taken into account.
Asked by: Damien Moore (Conservative - Southport)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to (a) decrease the total number of knife crimes and (b) support programmes that aim to educate young people of the dangers and consequences of carrying such weapons.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Government is very concerned about increases in knife crime and its impact on victims, families and communities. The action we are taking is set out in our Serious Violence Strategy and includes new legislation in the Offensive Weapons Bill and continuing police action under Operation Sceptre. We have also been supporting the #knifefree media campaign to raise awareness of the consequences of knife crime and discourage young people from carrying knives. The campaign features real testimonies of young people, and it is being promoted via social media as well as traditional channels of communication, including lesson plans for schools.
The Serious Violence Strategy includes a strong focus on prevention and early intervention to stop young people being drawn in to knife crime. We are supporting early intervention and prevention with children and young people through 29 projects announced in November that we are funding with £17.7m through the Early Intervention Youth Fund and we are supporting 68 small community projects this year through £1.5 million from the anti-knife crime Community Fund. In addition, we have extended our support for Redthread in hospital emergency departments to introduce its “teachable moment” youth violence intervention work to hospitals in Birmingham and Nottingham.
Asked by: Damien Moore (Conservative - Southport)
Question to the Home Office:
What recent discussions he has had with Police and Crime Commissioners on the equitable distribution of resources across all communities.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Government believes that Chief Constables, held to account by democratically elected Police and Crime Commissioners, are best placed to decide how to deploy their resources, taking into account local conditions and priorities.
Asked by: Damien Moore (Conservative - Southport)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what records her Department holds on complaints to the police about the display of Hezbollah flags at the Al-Quds Day rally in London on 18 June 2017.
Answered by Ben Wallace
The Home Office does not hold records of complaints made to the police about the display of Hezbollah flags at the 2017 Al-Quds Day rally in London.
Asked by: Damien Moore (Conservative - Southport)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to promote responsibility among business owners and shopkeepers regarding the sale of acid or household chemicals to customers they think might use such products to harm people.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
In July the Home Secretary announced an action plan to tackle the use of acid and other corrosives in violent attacks. This is based on four key strands: ensuring effective support for victims and survivors; effective policing; ensuring that relevant legislation is understood and consistently applied, and restricting access to acids and other harmful products.
Progress is being made in delivering the action plan and as part of this we are working closely with retailers to agree additional action they can take to help restrict access and reduce the risk of products containing the most harmful corrosive substances being used in attacks.
We have also been consulting on a legislative proposal which would prohibit the sale of products containing the most harmful corrosive substance to under 18s. The consultation closed on 9 December and we are currently considering the responses.