Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the use of gas by Russia in Ukraine; and whether he plans to supply respirators to Ukraine.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence continues to assess and monitor the evolving threat picture in Ukraine, including Russian use of chemicals as a method of warfare. The UK has been at the forefront of international support and assistance to the armed forces of Ukraine and has provided respirators and decontamination kits, as well as other protective measures to enhance Ukraine's protective capabilities against chemical weapons.
Our commitment to Ukraine is unwavering, we continue to work closely with our international partners to coordinate counter-CBRN support and assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many migrants attempting to enter the United Kingdom illegally in small boats have died in the English Channel in each of the last five years: how many such fatalities were children; and how many occurred in (a) UK and (b) French territorial waters.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
There have been 31 tragedies, since August 2019, where 97 people are confirmed to have died and at least 14 people have been reported as missing at sea, presumed dead, as a result of or linked to attempting these dangerous crossings.
Numbers of fatalities
Date | Confirmed fatalities |
2024 (to 05/09/24) | 37 |
2023 | 12 |
2022 | 4 |
2021 | 34 |
2020 | 6 |
2019 | 4 |
TOTAL | 97 |
A total of eight minors are reported to have died in the fatal incidents that have occurred this year. Prior to this, the only known minor fatalities occurred as a result of an incident in October 2020 when an entire family group, including 3 children, died following the capsizing of a migrant vessel.
Almost all fatalities have occurred in French Territorial Waters (TTW). There has been one incident (on 14 December 2022), involving the deaths of 4 people, which undoubtedly took place within UK TTW. However, an earlier tragedy – the loss of 27 people in a single incident in November 2021 – was proven after investigation to have partially occurred within UK TTW. It is subject to an ongoing Art.2 Human Rights Inquiry led by Sir Ross Cranston.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of reports of the outsourcing by a commercial subcontractor of work to coders based in Belarus; what remedial steps he has taken; whether he has made changes to his Department's procedures; and whether sanctions have been imposed.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Both the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and Rolls-Royce Submarines (RRS) investigated a subcontractor's outsourcing of development work for a RRS intranet page; this IT system is separate to the RRS classified systems. The investigation found no evidence that Belarusian nationals had access to sensitive information and concluded that no change to MOD procurement policy was required. No formal sanctions were imposed.
Defence took steps to ensure and confirm that there had been no compromise of classified information. The safety and security of the United Kingdom's nuclear submarines and the Deterrent, including the Service personnel who operate it, remain our highest priority. Our security processes are under constant review to ensure best practice.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what her policy is on the (a) freeport approved for the Solent area and (b) freeports programme.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Future plans for the Freeports Programme are being carefully considered as part of the ongoing Spending Review process.
This does not change the fact that Solent Freeport, alongside the other seven English Freeports and the two Scottish Green Freeports, has had tax sites designated and is open for business. Delivery is - and will continue to be - led by local partners and I thank all those involved for their continued hard work on the project.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, under what circumstances an individual arrested for murder is (a) held in custody and (b) released on police bail.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
A suspect arrested on suspicion of murder may be held in custody before charge where the custody officer a) is determining whether he has before him sufficient evidence to charge them with the offence for which he was arrested and b) has reasonable grounds for believing that the suspect’s detention is necessary to obtain evidence (for example, witness statements, interview, or medical examination) (PACE section 37). There are statutory limits on the time for which suspects can be held in custody without charge (section 41).
A suspect arrested, including on suspicion of murder, may be released within the authorised detention period on conditional or unconditional police bail, pre-charge, a) where there is as yet insufficient evidence to charge a suspect and they are released pending further investigation and b) where the police consider that there is sufficient evidence to charge, but the matter must be referred to the CPS for a charging decision (PACE section 35 and section 37).
Preconditions for police bail include the need to prevent offending by the suspect, the need to safeguard victims of crime and witnesses, the need to manage risks to the public and the need to secure the suspect’s surrender to custody (PACE section 50A). Where the individual’s release is required and no pre-conditions for bail are met, they must be released under investigation or subject to no further action (section 37).
Where a murder suspect is to be released on pre-charge bail, police should seek the views of close family members of the alleged victim, if it is reasonably practicable to do so, when deciding whether the suspect should be released on bail, and if so whether and what conditions should be imposed (section 47ZZA).
Under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) and the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 (CJPOA 1994), suspects who have been charged with murder are not eligible for police bail pending appearance at court for that offence unless exceptional circumstances apply (PACE section 38(1)(c) and section 25 CJPOA 1994). They must be kept in police custody and brought before a court not later, in most cases, than the first sitting after they are charged with the offence (section 46).
The rules and procedures relating to police bail are governed by PACE and the Bail Act 1976.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to Q329 of the oral evidence given to the Work and Pensions Committee by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Pensions on 10 January 2024, what progress his Department has made on formulating an adequate means of redress for Atomic Energy Agency Technology pensioners; and what his time-scale is for implementing remedial action.
Answered by Paul Maynard
Following the Work and Pensions Committee (WPC) on the 10 January, The Department of Work and Pensions officials have met with their Cabinet Office counterparts who have responsibility for the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. Conversations with Cabinet Office are ongoing. This is a complex issue requiring further consideration, therefore there is no set timescale.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information his Department holds on the number of retired Atomic Energy Agency Technology personnel who have died in the last (a) five, (b) 10 and (c) 15 years without having resolved matters relating to their pensions.
Answered by Paul Maynard
The Department for Work and Pensions does not hold information on members of the Atomic Energy Agency Technology pension scheme.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to respond to Question 12881 on Food: Imports tabled by the Rt hon. Member for New Forest East; and if he will include in that Answer (a) the reasons for which sealed refrigerated food vehicles entering the UK via the Port of Dover and intended for embarkation on cruise ships from the Port of Southampton are required to undergo biosecurity checks at an inland border security facility in Sevington, Kent and (b) whether a biosecurity risk would manifest itself between the port of arrival and the border security facility.
Answered by Mark Spencer
The Answer to Question 12881 was published on 7 March 2024 and I trust it addresses the concerns raised by the Rt Hon Member. I apologise for the delay in responding.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the location of the new border control post in Sevington on biosecurity risk.
Answered by Mark Spencer
Until now, goods from the EU enter the UK without certification and checks, apart from those required for the highest-risk live animals and plants. Now that we have moved away from the EU’s rigid biosecurity surveillance and reporting systems, we are responsible for mitigating our own biosecurity risks, which otherwise could devastate UK industries and our ability to export food, as well as posing risks to the environment, public health and the wider economy: by taking a risk-based approach our controls will be focused on consignments proven to cause the most significant biosecurity risk.
Defra has worked closely with the relevant designating authority so we are confident that Sevington will have the necessary measures in place to appropriately mitigate biosecurity risks that relate to this facility being located away from the point of entry. The approach to physical checks at inland Border Control Points has already been successfully adopted for plants. Work is also underway with key stakeholders, including the Food Standards Agency, to ensure robust operational procedures for vehicles travelling from port of entry to Sevington. These measures will ensure that biosecurity and food safety are not compromised.
Where a consignment is called to Sevington inland border facility for a physical inspection, those goods will not be legally cleared for sale or use within the UK until they have attended and been cleared at the Border Control Post (BCP). Where the BCP has concerns, either due to non-attendance or evidence of non-compliance, there are existing provisions, including requiring return or destruction of the goods, or for the goods to be referred for inland controls by the local authority. These are part of the established processes for Border Control facilities like Sevington that sit outside the controlled zone of ports, including those at Liverpool Birkenhead, Newhaven, Portsmouth and Tyne. Other EU ports like Dublin also carry out checks at control posts outside of the port itself.
African Swine Fever safeguard checks will be conducted with Border Force at the point of entry. It has never been our intention that these would move to any inland border facility.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his oral reply of 19 February 2024 to the Rt hon Member for New Forest East on HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark, Official Report, column 458,, whether his assurance that one of those ships will always be being made ready to sail means that neither will be mothballed.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
I can confirm that neither HMS ALBION nor HMS BULWARK will be scrapped or mothballed before their planned out of service dates in 2033 and 2034 respectively. As has been the case since 2010, one Landing Platform Dock ship will be held in extended readiness such that she will be capable of being regenerated if we have strategic notice that she will be needed.
As such, HMS ALBION will take HMS BULWARK's place in extended readiness. While you would not expect me to reveal the fine detail of readiness forecasts for security reasons, I can confirm HMS BULWARK will be regenerated from extended readiness and maintained so that she can be ready to deliver defence outputs if required.