Asked by: Leo Docherty (Conservative - Aldershot)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress is being made in tackling county lines criminal activity; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
We are absolutely committed to tackling county lines. The action we are taking is set out in the Serious Violence Strategy published on 9 April.
We are delivering a cross-Government and agency programme of work to tackle county lines through the County Lines Action Plan (which is published as an Annex to the Serious Violence Strategy). Last December we introduced the Drug Dealing Telecommunications Restriction Orders to enable police to shut down phone lines used to facilitate drug deals, and we have announced funding of £3.6million to establish a new National County Lines Co-Ordination Centre. Raising awareness of county lines and the appropriate safeguarding response is also very important. In July last year we published guidance on county lines for frontline practitioners to help them identify and respond to county lines exploitation and we are currently delivering a nationwide awareness-raising communications campaign.
Asked by: Leo Docherty (Conservative - Aldershot)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to reduce knife crime in Hampshire.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
On 9 April 2018, the Government published the Serious Violence Strategy that set out action being taken to address serious violence and in particular the recent increases in knife crime, gun crime and homicide. This also includes the national knife crime media campaign, #knifefree, to raise awareness of the consequences of knife crime among young people and to encourage them to take up positive activities.
We will continue to encourage police forces in England and Wales to undertake a series of coordinated national weeks of action to tackle knife crime under Operation Sceptre. In February this year, Hampshire Police participated in Operation Sceptre, which includes targeted stop and searches, weapon sweeps, test purchases of knives from identified retailers, the use of surrender bins and educational activities. We also announced up to £1million for a new round of the anti-knife crime Community Fund which will invite bids for funding later this Spring from community groups to tackle knife crime in their area.
Asked by: Leo Docherty (Conservative - Aldershot)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to ensure that the new British blue passports are produced in the UK.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
There is no reason to require UK passports to be manufactured in the United Kingdom. Up to 20 per cent of blank passport books are currently produced in Europe with no security or operational concerns.
All passports are personalised with the holder’s details in the United Kingdom, meaning that no personal data leaves the UK. This will continue under the next passport contract.
Asked by: Leo Docherty (Conservative - Aldershot)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of equipping more police officers with Taser non-lethal weapons, and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Nick Hurd
We are committed to giving the police the necessary tools to do their job and TASER®, a form of conducted energy device (CED), provides officers with an important less-lethal, tactical option when facing potentially physically violent situations.
While its use must be in line with the Home Secretary’s authorisation of the device, the deployment of TASER® is an operational matter for Chief Officers. It is for them to determine the number of devices and specially trained officers based on their force assessment of threat and risk.
Asked by: Leo Docherty (Conservative - Aldershot)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of Public Spaces Protection Orders.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
We have established an Anti-social Behaviour Advisory Group which provides a forum to discuss the use of anti-social behaviour powers with a range of police officers, local authorities, charities and government departments. We also published refreshed statutory guidance for frontline professionals on the use of these powers on 24 December 2017.
Asked by: Leo Docherty (Conservative - Aldershot)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to ensure police forces investigate household burglaries; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Government is very concerned about burglary and the impact it has on individuals and communities. That is why we expect the police to take all reports of burglary seriously, to investigate and, where appropriate, to bring the offenders to court so that they can receive appropriate punishment.
Asked by: Leo Docherty (Conservative - Aldershot)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to review the police funding formula.
Answered by Nick Hurd
We have yet to make any decisions about when to refresh the police funding formula. A new formula will not be introduced without a full public consultation.
Asked by: Leo Docherty (Conservative - Aldershot)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to support the police in tackling street drinking and anti-social behaviour.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Home Office contributed to guidance on tackling street drinking that was published by the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners last year. That guidance advocates a multi-agency, multi-component approach to dealing with individuals who often have complex needs.
Through the Local Alcohol Action Areas programme, the Home Office is supporting more than thirty areas across England and Wales to tackle alcohol harms, including those associated with street drinking.
In addition, in appropriate circumstances, the powers provided by the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 can be used to tackle or prevent alcohol-related anti-social behaviour.