Asked by: Diane Abbott (Independent - Hackney North and Stoke Newington)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps she has taken to help ensure that strip searches or invasive searches of children are reviewed (a) on the basis of safeguarding concerns and (b) by an appropriate body that is empowered to act against wrongful strip or invasive searches.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) Codes of Practice govern how the police should undertake a strip search. The College of Policing’s Authorised Professional Practice (APP) on Stop and Search provides further guidance for the police on the use of strip search. We expect officers to follow the law and the best practice guidance set by the College of Policing in its APP.
Her Majesty’s inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) inspect police forces’ compliance with the legislation and APP through their programme of PEEL assessments, national thematic inspections and commissions from the Home Secretary and local policing bodies. We expect forces to respond to these recommendations and address failures of compliance with legislation and APP.
Searches involving exposure of intimate parts of the body must be conducted in accordance with the safeguards in paragraph 11 of Annex A of PACE Code C. If a child is strip searched, an appropriate adult must be present to support the child during this process. It is essential that the police and frontline professionals recognise vulnerability in children and young people, regardless of the circumstances around any interaction. To support this the Home Office have funded the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s Vulnerability Knowledge and Practice programme, which shares the very best practice across forces. We also fund the College of Policing’s Public Protection and Safeguarding Leadership programme which ensures senior leaders in policing have a strong understanding of vulnerability.
Any concerns about the use of strip searches should be raised with the relevant force or the Independent Office of Police Complaints (IOPC), who investigate serious matters involving the police. As part of its work, the IOPC is required to consider if there is evidence of criminal wrongdoing or if police officers have a case to answer for misconduct or gross misconduct.
Asked by: Diane Abbott (Independent - Hackney North and Stoke Newington)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help ensure appropriate guidance is issued to police officers, to prevent unnecessary strip searches or intimate searches of children.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) Codes of Practice govern how the police should undertake a strip search. The College of Policing’s Authorised Professional Practice (APP) on Stop and Search provides further guidance for the police on the use of strip search. We expect officers to follow the law and the best practice guidance set by the College of Policing in its APP.
Her Majesty’s inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) inspect police forces’ compliance with the legislation and APP through their programme of PEEL assessments, national thematic inspections and commissions from the Home Secretary and local policing bodies. We expect forces to respond to these recommendations and address failures of compliance with legislation and APP.
Searches involving exposure of intimate parts of the body must be conducted in accordance with the safeguards in paragraph 11 of Annex A of PACE Code C. If a child is strip searched, an appropriate adult must be present to support the child during this process. It is essential that the police and frontline professionals recognise vulnerability in children and young people, regardless of the circumstances around any interaction. To support this the Home Office have funded the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s Vulnerability Knowledge and Practice programme, which shares the very best practice across forces. We also fund the College of Policing’s Public Protection and Safeguarding Leadership programme which ensures senior leaders in policing have a strong understanding of vulnerability.
Any concerns about the use of strip searches should be raised with the relevant force or the Independent Office of Police Complaints (IOPC), who investigate serious matters involving the police. As part of its work, the IOPC is required to consider if there is evidence of criminal wrongdoing or if police officers have a case to answer for misconduct or gross misconduct.
Asked by: Diane Abbott (Independent - Hackney North and Stoke Newington)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many children under the age of 18 were (a) referred to the Prevent programme and (b) adopted as a Channel case in the financial year 2020-21.
Answered by Damian Hinds
In the year ending March 2021, there were 1,920 referrals to Prevent for individuals under the age of 18. Of these referrals, 347 (18%) were adopted as a Channel case. It should be noted that there were 32 referrals to Prevent in the year ending March 2021 where the individuals age was unknown.
Please note that we do not collect information on the number of individuals referred into and adopted by the Channel programme, only the number of referrals and adoptions. This is because one person can be referred into Prevent, and adopted onto Channel, multiple times.
The Channel process is entirely voluntary and those that are under-18 must have the consent of their parent/guardian to be adopted as a Channel case.
You can access more information on referrals and adopted cases on the 2020-21 Channel Statistics Publication:
Asked by: Diane Abbott (Independent - Hackney North and Stoke Newington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations she has made to the government of Iran on (a) Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, (b) Anoosheh Ashoori and (c) the other British nationals detained in Iran.
Answered by Amanda Milling
The Foreign Secretary most recently discussed the cases of British dual nationals with the Iranian Foreign Minister on 8 November. The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa raised these cases with the Deputy Foreign Minister on 11 November. Our Ambassador in Tehran regularly raises their cases.
Asked by: Diane Abbott (Independent - Hackney North and Stoke Newington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what support the Government is providing to the Kenyan police in their investigation into the 2012 death of Agnes Wanjiru; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Leo Docherty
At the heart of the hon. Member's questions is the murder of a young Kenyan woman. Justice must be foremost in our minds. Therefore, you will appreciate that I can say nothing here which may jeopardise any future legal process in Kenya.
This issue is sub judice, in another Country's jurisdiction, and there is a significant risk that further public discussion would undermine the investigation into this murder and prejudice their inquiries and any trial.
Whilst the Kenyan police do have the lead for this investigation, I can assure you that the Royal Military Police are fully engaged in assisting them.
Asked by: Diane Abbott (Independent - Hackney North and Stoke Newington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on covid-19 risk for immunocompromised people after the planned easing of covid-19 restrictions on July 19 2021.
Answered by Jo Churchill
While no specific assessment has been made, a recent study from Public Health England looked at more than one million people in at-risk groups, which found that people who are immunosuppressed are significantly better protected from symptomatic infection following the second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Studies are also underway looking at which groups are less protected through vaccination, which may include groups with weakened immune systems and those with cancers of the blood. The findings will improve our knowledge of the levels of risk. We also recognise that there is a very small group of people who cannot receive the Pfizer BioNTech, Moderna or AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines.
Asked by: Diane Abbott (Independent - Hackney North and Stoke Newington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to help reduce the risk of contracting covid-19 for immunocompromised people after the planned easing of covod-19 restrictions on 19 July 2021.
Answered by Jo Churchill
Guidance for clinically extremely vulnerable individuals was published on 12 July including those who are immunocompromised or immunosuppressed, is available at the following link:
Following the recommendation of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), the Government offered the household contacts aged over 16 years old of severely immunosuppressed individuals priority access to vaccination from COVID-19, to help reduce the risk of the immunosuppressed individual catching COVID-19 from a member of their household. This recommendation has now been extended to household contacts aged 12 to 15 years old.
The JCVI has provided interim advice is that booster vaccines should first be offered in a two staged approach, with individuals in stage one offered a booster and flu vaccine as soon as possible from September, which includes adults aged 16 years old and over who are immunosuppressed. Those in stage two should be offered a booster vaccine as soon as practicable after stage one, with equal emphasis on deployment of the flu vaccine where eligible. This includes adult household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals. General practitioner practices or specialists can also provide personalised support and advice on any additional precautions.
Asked by: Diane Abbott (Independent - Hackney North and Stoke Newington)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what support his Department plans to put in place to ensure effective future accommodation pathways can be offered to all rough sleepers currently in emergency accommodation.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
We have taken huge steps working with local authorities and their partners to protect rough sleepers during the pandemic. This work has not stopped, and by the end of January, we had supported over 37,000 people with over 11,000 in emergency accommodation and over 26,000 already moved on into longer-term accommodation.
We are committed to ending rough sleeping within this parliament, and that means making sure as few people supported return to the streets as possible.
Our work focuses on helping people find longer term accommodation, as well as supporting those new to the street. Our work includes:
Asked by: Diane Abbott (Independent - Hackney North and Stoke Newington)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what discussions she has had with her counterparts in Canada and Australian on the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to ban conversion therapy.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - Leader of HM Official Opposition
Officials in the Equality Hub are in discussion with international policy counterparts, to fully understand the detail and impact of other jurisdictions’ measures and to inform the Government’s next steps. However, we must ensure a ban on conversion therapy works here and that is why we have committed to launching a consultation in September. We want to hear from a wide range of voices on how best to protect people from conversion therapy while ensuring the medical profession can continue to work in line with best practice, defending freedom of speech, and upholding religious freedom. This will be vital for ensuring the action we take is informed, effective and proportionate.
Asked by: Diane Abbott (Independent - Hackney North and Stoke Newington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if the Government will ring-fence funding for the Palliative Care Unit at the Whipps Cross Hospital.
Answered by Edward Argar
The proposed redevelopment of Whipps Cross does not involve the reconfiguration of services and envisages the new hospital providing the same core services as today, including the continued provision of high-quality specialist palliative and end of life care. A clinically led review of the model of care for the provision of specialist palliative care and end-of-life care in the new hospital is being undertaken by Barts Health NHS Trust, working closely with local partners and informed by engagement with patients and local interest groups.