Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he plans to hold discussions with the Metropolitan Police on the projection of slogans relating to the Israel-Hamas conflict onto Elizabeth Tower on 21 February 2024.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
I would refer you to my response in the House of Commons to the Rt Hon Michael Ellis on 26 February 2024: Topical Questions - Hansard - UK Parliament.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department has provided guidance to the Metropolitan Police on tackling anti-Semitic (a) chants and (b) slogans during protests.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
This Government is clear that antisemitism is completely unacceptable, and we have a robust legislative framework to respond to hate crimes which target race and religion. The Government expects police to enforce the law where appropriate to protect communities and maintain public order and public safety.
Whilst the police are operationally independent and work in line with the College of Policing’s operational guidance to respond to hate crime, we expect the police to fully investigate all hate crimes and work with the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure perpetrators are brought to justice. Whether specific chants or slogans constitute an offence depends on the specific context surrounding the incident and decisions on arrests are a matter for the police.
The College of Policing is responsible for providing guidance to police and are operationally independent from Government. The College of Policing have provided guidance and communications with frontline officers to ensure all officers have the latest information, advice and support they should be providing to communities.
On 28 February 2024, the Government published the Defending Democracy Policing Protocol after consulting with senior policing leaders. The protocol includes seven commitments aimed at addressing the growing trend of intimidatory behaviour and attempts to manipulate the democratic process. The full protocol can be accessed here: Defending democracy policing protocol - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
I also recently made a statement to the House of Commons on antisemitism in the UK. A copy of this on Hansard is available here: Antisemitism in the UK - Hansard - UK Parliament
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many raids were carried out by Border Force in Lincolnshire in each year since 2021.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)
Our published data on enforcement visits is available at the following link: Statistics relating to the Illegal Migration Act - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Information about the number of enforcement visits conducted by Immigration Enforcement specifically in Lincolnshire is not available in our published data.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were caught attempting to enter the UK illegally through (a) airports and (b) airfields in each year since 2019.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)
The Home Office publishes statistics on detected irregular arrivals to the UK in the ‘Irregular migration to the UK statistics’ release on gov.uk.
Data on people who have arrived in the UK as ‘Inadequately documented air arrivals’ are included in table Irr_01 of the ‘Irregular migration to the UK detailed datasets’, with the latest data up to the end of September 2023.
The Home Office does not publish the requested data in any further breakdowns.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of non-crime hate incidents have been recorded by police forces since the new code of practice was announced in March 2023.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
As provided for in the Police, Crime, and Sentencing Act 2022, in 2023 the Government introduced the statutory Non-Crime Hate Incidents Code of Practice on the Recording and Retention of Personal Data in order to make the processes surrounding the recording and retention of personal data more transparent and subject to stronger safeguards. The new code came into effect on 3 June 2023 and applies to police forces across England and Wales.
Whilst recognising the operational importance of NCHI recording for the police in protecting vulnerable people and communities from harm, the code clarifies that the police should only record NCHIs when it is necessary and proportionate to do so and not simply because someone is offended.
The College of Policing also updated its operational guidance for the police, known as ‘Authorised Professional Practice’ (APP), to ensure that its guidance on NCHI recording aligns with the code.
Prior to the code and updated APP coming into effect, the College communicated with forces about the changes introduced by the code and revised APP. The College also developed an e-briefing pack on NCHIs which is available to forces. It is for individual police forces to ensure that they comply with the law and must have regard to the statutory code of practice and all the relevant operational guidance.
The Home Office does not collect data from forces on the number of NCHIs recorded by the police. The data collected from the police balances policy needs and the burden on forces.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will hold discussions with police forces on removing non-crime hate incidents from people's records.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
As provided for in the Police, Crime, and Sentencing Act 2022, in 2023 the Government introduced the statutory Non-Crime Hate Incidents Code of Practice on the Recording and Retention of Personal Data in order to make the processes surrounding the recording and retention of personal data more transparent and subject to stronger safeguards. The new code came into effect on 3 June 2023 and applies to police forces across England and Wales.
Whilst recognising the operational importance of NCHI recording for the police in protecting vulnerable people and communities from harm, the code clarifies that the police should only record NCHIs when it is necessary and proportionate to do so and not simply because someone is offended.
The College of Policing also updated its operational guidance for the police, known as ‘Authorised Professional Practice’ (APP), to ensure that its guidance on NCHI recording aligns with the code.
Prior to the code and updated APP coming into effect, the College communicated with forces about the changes introduced by the code and revised APP. The College also developed an e-briefing pack on NCHIs which is available to forces. It is for individual police forces to ensure that they comply with the law and must have regard to the statutory code of practice and all the relevant operational guidance.
The Home Office does not collect data from forces on the number of NCHIs recorded by the police. The data collected from the police balances policy needs and the burden on forces.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Border Force vehicles have been used to patrol the English Channel in each year since 2015.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)
Border Force Maritime Command secure the UK maritime border with a fleet of vessels including offshore Cutters, inshore Coastal Patrol Vessels (CPV), and a range of smaller craft equipped for individual operations.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many houses his Department (a) owns and (b) rents for housing asylum seekers.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation (including in contingency hotels and other contingency accommodation) is published in table Asy_D11 here: Asylum and resettlement datasets - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many hotels have been used for housing asylum seekers in Lincolnshire since 2020.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation (including in contingency hotels and other contingency accommodation) is published in table Asy_D11 here: Asylum and resettlement datasets - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many hotels are being used to house asylum seekers in England and Wales.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation (including in contingency hotels and other contingency accommodation) is published in table Asy_D11 here: Asylum and resettlement datasets - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).