Asked by: David Hanson (Labour - Delyn)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that violence against shopworkers is recorded by police forces.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Violence is unacceptable wherever it takes place, and violence or abuse against retail staff should not be tolerated. We encourage all victims, including shopworkers, to report these crimes to the police whenever they occur so that they can be recorded and investigated and the perpetrators brought to justice.
Through the National Retail Crime Steering Group, we are working with our partners across government, the police and in the retail sector to explore what more can be done to prevent and tackle violence and abuse against retail staff.
Asked by: David Hanson (Labour - Delyn)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is the expected (a) completion and (b) publication date of her Department’s review of the operation of the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Home Office is committed to publishing the review 30 months after the introduction of the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016.
Asked by: David Hanson (Labour - Delyn)
Question to the Home Office:
What discussions she has had with Police and Crime Commissioners on the level of the police precept for 2018-19.
Answered by Nick Hurd
Before the police funding settlement, I spoke and received written submissions from leaders in police forces in England and Wales. Police leaders - especially in England where referendum limits apply - were clear that they wanted additional flexibility to increase funding through precept. I heard their messages and responded by allowing increases of an average £1 per month in England, enabling each PCC to maintain their funding in real terms next year.
Asked by: David Hanson (Labour - Delyn)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department took to minimise risk in response to the National Audit Office report on The Home Office's oversight of forensic services, published in January 2015.
Answered by Nick Hurd
This was a briefing paper for the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee. The Home Office published its Forensic Science Strategy in March 2016 setting out how policing would deliver a national approach to forensic science delivery, supported by the Home Office.
Asked by: David Hanson (Labour - Delyn)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police forces have ongoing case work with Key Forensic Services.
Answered by Nick Hurd
Key Forensic Services (KFS) appointed administrators on 30 January 2018. At the time there were around 2,000 pending cases, and around 30 police forces affected. The administrators have issued a statement that the company is continuing to trade.
I welcome the National Police Chiefs’ Council and Association of Police and Crime Commissioners’ swift action to minimise the impact on the criminal justice system and protect the evidence for live cases. With Home Office support they are working on a plan to ensure that the evidence KFS holds continues to be properly and professionally managed in accordance with the standards set by the Forensic Science Regulator. It is estimated that work to complete current cases will take around two months. Work is also underway to assess short-term, capacity within the forensic science market.
Asked by: David Hanson (Labour - Delyn)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many pending cases Key Forensic Services was handling in each police force area prior to its collapse.
Answered by Nick Hurd
Key Forensic Services (KFS) appointed administrators on 30 January 2018. At the time there were around 2,000 pending cases, and around 30 police forces affected. The administrators have issued a statement that the company is continuing to trade.
I welcome the National Police Chiefs’ Council and Association of Police and Crime Commissioners’ swift action to minimise the impact on the criminal justice system and protect the evidence for live cases. With Home Office support they are working on a plan to ensure that the evidence KFS holds continues to be properly and professionally managed in accordance with the standards set by the Forensic Science Regulator. It is estimated that work to complete current cases will take around two months. Work is also underway to assess short-term, capacity within the forensic science market.
Asked by: David Hanson (Labour - Delyn)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the effect on police forces of the collapse of Key Forensic Services.
Answered by Nick Hurd
Key Forensic Services (KFS) appointed administrators on 30 January 2018. At the time there were around 2,000 pending cases, and around 30 police forces affected. The administrators have issued a statement that the company is continuing to trade.
I welcome the National Police Chiefs’ Council and Association of Police and Crime Commissioners’ swift action to minimise the impact on the criminal justice system and protect the evidence for live cases. With Home Office support they are working on a plan to ensure that the evidence KFS holds continues to be properly and professionally managed in accordance with the standards set by the Forensic Science Regulator. It is estimated that work to complete current cases will take around two months. Work is also underway to assess short-term, capacity within the forensic science market.
Asked by: David Hanson (Labour - Delyn)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who will be responsible for the provision of forensic science services following the collapse of Key Forensic Services; and how much financial support will be given to establish that provider.
Answered by Nick Hurd
Key Forensic Services (KFS) appointed administrators on 30 January 2018. At the time there were around 2,000 pending cases, and around 30 police forces affected. The administrators have issued a statement that the company is continuing to trade.
I welcome the National Police Chiefs’ Council and Association of Police and Crime Commissioners’ swift action to minimise the impact on the criminal justice system and protect the evidence for live cases. With Home Office support they are working on a plan to ensure that the evidence KFS holds continues to be properly and professionally managed in accordance with the standards set by the Forensic Science Regulator. It is estimated that work to complete current cases will take around two months. Work is also underway to assess short-term, capacity within the forensic science market.
Asked by: David Hanson (Labour - Delyn)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the cost to the public purse of the collapse of Key Forensic Services.
Answered by Nick Hurd
Key Forensic Services (KFS) appointed administrators on 30 January 2018. At the time there were around 2,000 pending cases, and around 30 police forces affected. The administrators have issued a statement that the company is continuing to trade.
I welcome the National Police Chiefs’ Council and Association of Police and Crime Commissioners’ swift action to minimise the impact on the criminal justice system and protect the evidence for live cases. With Home Office support they are working on a plan to ensure that the evidence KFS holds continues to be properly and professionally managed in accordance with the standards set by the Forensic Science Regulator. It is estimated that work to complete current cases will take around two months. Work is also underway to assess short-term, capacity within the forensic science market.
Asked by: David Hanson (Labour - Delyn)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to implement framework options for monitoring performance and progress in reducing modern slavery, as recommended by the National Audit Office.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Modern slavery is a barbaric crime that destroys the lives of victims across the globe.
The UK Government has had an ambitious Modern Slavery Strategy in place since 2014 and the world-leading Modern Slavery Act was introduced in 2015. Significant progress has been made in implementing the Strategy which have been monitored through performance indicators relating to individual parts of the Strategy. The Home Office will continue to develop its performance framework as necessary, in cooperation with other government departments and agencies.
We have noted the recommendations from the National Audit Office - including in this area - and have already responded publicly to a number of them. The report will be further considered by the Prime Minister's Modern Slavery Taskforce.