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Written Question
National Security
Tuesday 5th March 2024

Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he expects the next Annual Threat Update from the Director General of MI5.

Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)

MI5 assesses, investigates and works to disrupt threats to UK national security. The Director General of MI5 makes public statements, including on the changing threat picture, when he judges it necessary to do so.

He last spoke publicly in October 2023, details of which are available on MI5's website (www.mi5.gov.uk). When the Director General next provides public update, the details will also be available on MI5's website.


Written Question
Drugs: Organised Crime
Friday 23rd June 2023

Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan, which (a) organisations and (b) other stakeholders her Department plans to consult on the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals for a new cuckooing offence.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government fully recognises the serious impact that persistent Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) can have on both individuals and the wider community. The ASB Action Plan, published on 27 March, commits to tackling ASB across five key themes: 1) stronger punishment, 2) making communities safer, 3) building local pride, 4) prevention and early intervention, 5) improving data, reporting and accountability for action.

As part of the plan, which is backed by £160m of funding, we are committed to tackling the exploitation and degrading behaviour that is associated with cuckooing. The targeted stakeholder engagement exercise commenced in the Spring of 2023 and is ongoing. We are engaging on the potential merits and scope of a new offence with a variety of key stakeholders such as the police, CJS partners, local authorities, other Government departments, specialists in the field and the Devolved Governments.

There is no centrally held data on the number of cuckooed properties. The National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC) regularly coordinates weeks of intensive action against county lines gangs, in which all police forces take part. The most recent week of intensification, which took place between 27th February to 5th March 2023, saw 887 cuckooed properties visited.


Written Question
Drugs: Organised Crime
Friday 23rd June 2023

Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to paragraph 59.g of the Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan, updated on 17 May, what discussions she has had with stakeholders on the introduction of the new offence of cuckooing .

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government fully recognises the serious impact that persistent Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) can have on both individuals and the wider community. The ASB Action Plan, published on 27 March, commits to tackling ASB across five key themes: 1) stronger punishment, 2) making communities safer, 3) building local pride, 4) prevention and early intervention, 5) improving data, reporting and accountability for action.

As part of the plan, which is backed by £160m of funding, we are committed to tackling the exploitation and degrading behaviour that is associated with cuckooing. The targeted stakeholder engagement exercise commenced in the Spring of 2023 and is ongoing. We are engaging on the potential merits and scope of a new offence with a variety of key stakeholders such as the police, CJS partners, local authorities, other Government departments, specialists in the field and the Devolved Governments.

There is no centrally held data on the number of cuckooed properties. The National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC) regularly coordinates weeks of intensive action against county lines gangs, in which all police forces take part. The most recent week of intensification, which took place between 27th February to 5th March 2023, saw 887 cuckooed properties visited.


Written Question
Drugs: Organised Crime
Friday 23rd June 2023

Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) research she has commissioned and (b) information her Department holds on the (i) prevalence and (ii) impact of cuckooing in vulnerable communities.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government fully recognises the serious impact that persistent Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) can have on both individuals and the wider community. The ASB Action Plan, published on 27 March, commits to tackling ASB across five key themes: 1) stronger punishment, 2) making communities safer, 3) building local pride, 4) prevention and early intervention, 5) improving data, reporting and accountability for action.

As part of the plan, which is backed by £160m of funding, we are committed to tackling the exploitation and degrading behaviour that is associated with cuckooing. The targeted stakeholder engagement exercise commenced in the Spring of 2023 and is ongoing. We are engaging on the potential merits and scope of a new offence with a variety of key stakeholders such as the police, CJS partners, local authorities, other Government departments, specialists in the field and the Devolved Governments.

There is no centrally held data on the number of cuckooed properties. The National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC) regularly coordinates weeks of intensive action against county lines gangs, in which all police forces take part. The most recent week of intensification, which took place between 27th February to 5th March 2023, saw 887 cuckooed properties visited.


Written Question
Police Stations: China
Wednesday 3rd May 2023

Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to shut down so-called Chinese secret police stations operating in the UK.

Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)

As I stated to the House on 1 November, and as my honourable friend Minister Philip referenced during debate in the House on 19 April, investigations are ongoing. It would be inappropriate for me to comment any further on operational matters.

We continually assess potential threats in the UK, and take protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and safety in the UK very seriously.


Written Question
Biometric Residence Permits
Monday 24th April 2023

Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 22 March 2023 to Question 165293 on Biometric Residence Permits: ICT, how many biometric resident permits were affected by this IT issue; and what recent estimate she has made of when these issues will be resolved.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

The information requested could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.


Written Question
Firearms and Explosives: Licensing
Monday 27th March 2023

Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the finings of Maxine Davison, Lee Martyn, Sophie Martyn, Stephen Washington and Kate Shepherd: Prevention of future deaths report, issued by Senior Coroner Ian Arrow, what steps she has taken to help ensure accredited training for Firearms and Explosives Licensing Unit staff.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

This recommendation was made as part of the Prevention of Future Deaths report issued by the Senior Coroner in Plymouth on 8 March, following the Inquest into the tragic shootings in Keyham on 12 August 2021, to the College of Policing (CoP), the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) and the Home Office.

The CoP are responsible for the development of training, and we are supportive of the work that they are currently undertaking to develop new Authorised Professional Practice (APP) and a package of accredited training for police firearms licensing staff.

I hope to make an announcement, as part of a future statement to the House, when I set out how the Government intends to proceed with the recommendations made by the Senior Coroner at the Inquest, together with the other recommendations made in recent reports by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), in relation to Keyham, and the Scottish Affairs Select Committee in respect of their inquiry following the fatal shooting that occurred on the Isle of Skye on 10 August 2022.


Written Question
National Security: Journalism and Legal Profession
Thursday 9th March 2023

Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Defending Democracy Taskforce plans to make an assessment of trends in the level of state threats towards (a) journalists and (b) the legal profession.

Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)

It is our long standing policy that we do not comment on operational intelligence or security matters. We continually assess potential threats in the UK, and take protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and safety in the UK very seriously. The Home Office works closely with other government departments as well as relevant agencies and law enforcement to protect people identified as being at risk. Any threats made by a foreign state against individuals in the UK, including journalists and members of the legal profession, will be thoroughly investigated.

For instance, as set out in my statement to the House on 20 February, we are taking steps to address the concerning activities of the Iranian regime and its operatives in the UK, including threats towards UK-based journalists working for Iran International. We will offer Iran International every support that we can in establishing and securing their new premises, and until such a time as that location is ready I have asked officials to support Iran International in finding a new, temporary secure location for its operations in the UK.

Attempts by foreign Governments to coerce, intimidate, harass or harm their critics overseas, undermining democracy and the rule of law, are unacceptable. As demonstrated by the upcoming National Security Bill which will strengthen our legal powers to counter foreign interference, and the establishment of the Defending Democracy Taskforce to drive forward work to protect UK democratic processes, this Government is committed to tackling this challenge.


Written Question
Human Trafficking
Monday 13th February 2023

Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that first responder organisations have adequate resources to support victims of trafficking; and whether her Department has a process in place for specialist organisations to apply to become first responders.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office launched an e-learning package for First Responders in 2020. This consists of two modules, one on indicators of modern slavery and how to make a referral into the NRM (published summer 2020) and a second (published in June 2021) which focuses on the vulnerabilities of child victims. The training modules can be found here: Home Office First Responder Training (policingslavery.co.uk)

The Home Office continues to work with stakeholders to review the role of First Responders. This includes options for how non-statutory organisations can apply to be a First Responder Organisation.


Written Question
Computer Misuse Act 1990
Monday 13th February 2023

Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department will publish its response to the call for information on the effectiveness of the Computer Misuse Act 1990, which closed in August 2021.

Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)

The Computer Misuse Act 1990 is the main legislation relating to cybercrime, and it is essential that we ensure that it continues to be effective. We are still considering the proposals put forward to the Call for Information, and we will inform Parliament shortly of the way forward on the review of the Computer Misuse Act.