Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list the offences with which each returning ISIS combatant, who has been prosecuted, has been charged with in each year since 2011.
Answered by Ben Wallace
Approximately 40 individuals have been prosecuted on their return from Syria, either because of offences committed overseas or for activity linked to their involvement in conflict overseas. The offences cover TACT offences and non-TACT offences, but are only included if they were the result of investigations into terrorist-related activity. Not all of the convictions relate to activity in Syria or even TACT offences. All 40 were found guilty of the offences they were charged with.
We do not comment on specific operational matters in order to protect our national security so as not to reveal operational tactics. It would therefore be inappropriate to break down these figures further or to release information about the specific cases involved.
Please note that the safety and security of our country, our people and our communities remains the Government’s number one priority.
Around 900 people of national security concern travelled from the UK to engage in the conflict in Syria and Iraq. Of these, approximately 20% have been killed while overseas, and around 40% have returned to the UK.
The majority of those who have returned, did so in the earlier stages of the conflict, and were investigated on their return. A significant proportion of these individuals are assessed as no longer being of national security concern.
Everyone who returns from taking part in the conflict in Syria or Iraq must expect to be investigated by the police to determine if they have committed criminal offences, and to ensure that they do not pose a threat to our national security.
Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to publish the results of its review into air weapons following the consultation that ran between 12 December 2017 and 6 February 2018.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Government announced the review of the regulation of air weapons on 9 October. We received a large number of representations from interested parties and members of the public and we are now considering these carefully. We will publish our findings in due course.
Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the police take when an individual on licence from prison is arrested and charged with a criminal offence in connection with possible breach of licence conditions.
Answered by Nick Hurd
Decisions as to the action taken by the police in such cases are operational matters for the police. They will depend on the facts of each individual case, guided by information obtained from HM Prisons and Probation Service on the licence conditions and particular risks identified in prison.
Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many staff appointed after 24 June 2016 in her Department hold a post that includes work on the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
The Home Office constantly monitors the capabilities it needs to deliver the Government’s agenda. Any changes to resource requirements flowing from Home Office EU Exit planning or related projects are factored into this strategic planning.
By its nature, EU exit work is complex and cross-cutting, involving multiple directorates and teams within in the Department. Given the interactions between EU exit work and the Department’s other priorities, it would not be possible to give an accurate figure on how many staff in the Home Office have responsibilities relating to exiting the EU.
Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the total budget of each police and crime commissioner was in England and Wales in each of the last five years.
Answered by Nick Hurd
I would refer the Hon Gentleman to the Police Grant Reports and accompanying Written Ministerial Statements which set out the core funding provided by the Home Office and are available online at the address below.
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-finance
Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to assess the effect on levels of use of synthetic cannabinoids of changes in the law relating to those drugs made on 16 December 2016.
Answered by Sarah Newton
Data on prosecutions involving the possession of synthetic cannabinoids (frequently sold under the brand name ‘Spice’) is not currently available. Data for the calendar year 2017 will be published in May 2018.
The Government published circular 10/2016 which was sent to police forces across the UK to promote the changes to legislation. The Government continues to regularly engage the National Police Chiefs’ Council and police forces about ongoing problems with new psychoactive substances.
As with the scheduling of other drug types, there are no current plans to conduct a formal evaluation of this specific change. However, the Government will continue to monitor trends in the use of new psychoactive substances, and in late 2018 it will publish a statutory review of the operation of the Psychoactive Substances Act, which will consider the interactions between the PSA and the Misuse of Drugs Act.
Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to communicate changes in the law relating to synthetic cannabinoids made on 14 December 2016 to police services and local authorities in the UK.
Answered by Sarah Newton
Data on prosecutions involving the possession of synthetic cannabinoids (frequently sold under the brand name ‘Spice’) is not currently available. Data for the calendar year 2017 will be published in May 2018.
The Government published circular 10/2016 which was sent to police forces across the UK to promote the changes to legislation. The Government continues to regularly engage the National Police Chiefs’ Council and police forces about ongoing problems with new psychoactive substances.
As with the scheduling of other drug types, there are no current plans to conduct a formal evaluation of this specific change. However, the Government will continue to monitor trends in the use of new psychoactive substances, and in late 2018 it will publish a statutory review of the operation of the Psychoactive Substances Act, which will consider the interactions between the PSA and the Misuse of Drugs Act.
Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prosecutions for possession of synthetic cannabinoids have been commenced since changes in the law relating to synthetic cannabinoids were introduced on 16 December 2016.
Answered by Sarah Newton
Data on prosecutions involving the possession of synthetic cannabinoids (frequently sold under the brand name ‘Spice’) is not currently available. Data for the calendar year 2017 will be published in May 2018.
The Government published circular 10/2016 which was sent to police forces across the UK to promote the changes to legislation. The Government continues to regularly engage the National Police Chiefs’ Council and police forces about ongoing problems with new psychoactive substances.
As with the scheduling of other drug types, there are no current plans to conduct a formal evaluation of this specific change. However, the Government will continue to monitor trends in the use of new psychoactive substances, and in late 2018 it will publish a statutory review of the operation of the Psychoactive Substances Act, which will consider the interactions between the PSA and the Misuse of Drugs Act.
Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the Government's policy will be after the UK has left the EU on universities losing their licence to recruit international students if more than 10 per cent of such students are refused visas.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
We are working across Government to identify and develop options to shape our future immigration system.
Parliament will have an important role to play in this and we will ensure businesses and communities have the opportunity to contribute their views.
Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish a list of all three pump fire stations in England, by name and local authority.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
The Home Office does not collect information on pump stations. Official statistics on the total number of fire stations in England are available in Table 1403 here
www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fire-statistics-data-tables#other