Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to reduce anti-social behaviour during the world cup period.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police and local authorities with a range of flexible powers that they can use to tackle anti-social and nuisance behaviour.
It is for those local agencies to decide whether it is appropriate to make use of these powers to address football-related anti-social behaviour during the world cup period in the light of the circumstances applying in the local area.
The police can also make use of public order legislation to respond to football related disorder in town and city centres and in licensed premises.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many female police officers have been recruited in each of the last three years.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Home Office collects and publishes data on the number of police officers who join the police workforce during the financial year and are based on full-time equivalents. These data are published in the ‘Police workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin.
Data on the number of police officers who joined the police workforce in England and Wales for the years 2006/07 to 2016/17 can be found in the accompanying Joiners Open Data Tables, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-workforce-open-data-tables
These data are broken down by Police Force Area, gender, ethnicity and type of joiner.
The latest figures are for the year to 31 March 2017. The next edition of the ‘Police workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin representing the workforce as at 31 March 2018 is due to be published on 19th July 2018.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions he has had with the EU negotiating team on the maintenance of the UK's participation in the European Arrest Warrant after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Nick Hurd
Regarding our future relationship with the EU, the UK is seeking a comprehensive security relationship which preserves mutually important operational capabilities whilst allowing the UK and EU to continue to work together to combat fast evolving security threats. The UK’s position is that it is in the interests of both the UK and the EU to continue the efficient and reliable operational capabilities provided by the European Arrest Warrant once the UK leaves the EU, and we are working with the EU and Member States to ensure that this is the case.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taken to enable people born in the Republic of Ireland that have been resident in Northern Ireland for most of their lives to receive a British passport.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
Irish citizens born in Ireland and who move to the UK hold a special status, reflecting our shared history and close social and cultural ties. This includes the right to enter, reside, work and study without seeking permission as well as access to social security and public services, including healthcare. We are committed to protecting these existing rights and privileges as we leave the EU.
If they wish to hold a British passport then, in keeping with other persons who have moved to the UK, they first have to apply to naturalise or register as a British citizen. Irish citizens do, however, have the opportunity to naturalise as a British citizen after just five years residence - three years if they are married to or the civil partner of a British citizen - which is quicker than the route to citizenship for other EU nationals.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has plans to bring forward legislative proposals on the length of sentences for drug-related crimes.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Government believe the sentences for drug related offences are proportionate and there are no current plans to bring forward legislative proposals on the length of sentences for drug related crimes.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Police stations have closed in each of the last five years.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Home Office does not collect this information. It for democratically elected Police and Crime Commissioners, working with Chief Constables, to determine the best use of resources to effectively serve and engage their communities and to build their trust and confidence.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information his Department holds on the number of drivers who took the National Speed Awareness courses in 2017.
Answered by Nick Hurd
National Speed Awareness courses are offered under the police controlled and operated National Driver Offender Retraining Scheme (NDORS). The Home Office does not hold information on the number of drivers who have taken Speed Awareness courses.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has plans to issue body worn video cameras to all (a) police officers and (b) detectives.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The procurement and deployment of body worn video cameras is a matter for Police and Crime Commissioners and Chief Officers.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases of (a) sexual assault and (b) rape were reported in 2017.
Answered by Nick Hurd
Data on the number of police recorded sexual assault and rape offences in England and Wales are published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The latest data, for the year ending September 2017, can be found in Table A4 of the appendix tables, available here:
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to allocate additional funding to police forces to tackle child grooming in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the rest of the UK.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Home Office does not provide funding for the Police Service of Northern Ireland. Policing is a devolved matter and it is for the Department of Justice (Northern Ireland) to determine the level of resources required by the Service.
In England and Wales, £20m over three years has been awarded through the Police Transformation Fund to increase capability to target online grooming of children. The Home Office is also providing ongoing funding for several major child sexual abuse investigations through Police Special Grant.
Ministers engaged with every police force in England and Wales about changing demand before making decisions on the 2018/19 funding settlement. The Government recognised changing demands, including the complex and resource intensive work involved in investigating child sexual exploitation, through an increase in total investment in the police system of around £450m in 2018/19.
Increasing awareness of the risks posed to children by online offenders is vitally important to combat online grooming. The National Crime Agency’s Thinkuknow education programme provides educational resources for use with children and young people helping them to identify the risks they may face, particularly online. This programme has been used across the country, including in Northern Ireland, to help keep children and young people safe online.