Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have received about extending by regulation the disregards and pardons for now abolished offences under section 166 of the Policing and Crime Act 2017.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Government remains fully committed to considering any further representations regarding the disregard scheme and upholding its intent and purpose.
Work is ongoing across government to explore the feasibility of extending the scheme under Section 166 of the Policing and Crime Act 2017 and to identify what further offences might be added to the list of offences currently eligible for a disregard under Part 5 of the Protections of Freedoms Act 2012.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people have been (1) interviewed, and (2) charged, in connection with the removal of the statue of Edward Colston in Bristol on 7 June; and what estimate they have made, if any, of the cost to Avon and Somerset Police of policing the Black Lives Matter protest on that day.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The investigation in to this crime is an operational matter for Avon and Somerset Police, and these questions are better directed at them.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 25 February (HLWS118), when they will give their response to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse’s report on Westminster, published on 25 February.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse investigation report, ‘Allegations of child sexual abuse linked to Westminster’, was published on 25 February and is available at https://www.iicsa.org.uk/publications/investigation/westminster/executive-summary. The Government is considering the report’s recommendations carefully and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have plans to reduce the noise made by police and ambulance helicopters circling over London during the weekends.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The decision of when to deploy helicopters over London is an operational matter for the police and the London Air Ambulance.
The London Air Ambulance only operates during daylight hours due to operational reasons and this reduces noise during night time hours.
The National Police Air Service (NPAS) provides aircraft, including helicopters, and in London, NPAS responds to requests for support predominately from the Metropolitan Police Service but also British Transport Police and the City of London Police.
NPAS deploys helicopters after completing a threat, harm and risk assessment; and only deploy them when necessary. In 2019 a total of 3727 calls for service were delivered to the Metropolitan Police Service or City of London Police, an average of 10 per day.
The existing fleet of aircraft are compliant with regulation [International Civil Aviation Authority, Chapter 8 noise, Chapter 8 and Annex 16] and are amongst the quietest within their category.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to reconsider the requirement that independent educational institutions which establish new sixth forms must wait two years before accepting students from countries outside the EU under the Home Office’s Tier 4 visa arrangements.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
All education institutions which want to recruit international students must demonstrate both a strong record of immigration compliance, by gaining Tier 4 Sponsor status, and a high educational quality, by undergoing an assessment of their educational standards by an independent inspectorate.
This independent educational oversight ensures that only genuine high-quality institutions can sponsor students under the Tier 4 visa arrangements, protecting the UK’s international reputation for excellent educational standards.
A private education provider must have been continuously teaching a course of study that meets Tier 4 requirements to UK or EEA students for two years prior to its inspection. This ensures that such providers receive a meaningful inspection of their teaching provision, and that only genuine private education providers can become Tier 4 sponsors.
The two-year requirement does not apply to other types of Tier 4 sponsor, because they are subject to different statutory inspection arrangements. In the case of independent schools, these include consideration of the institution’s ability to safeguard children. These requirements ensure that international students continue to receive a high-quality education in the UK.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Baroness Barran on 20 December 2018 (HL Deb, col 1996), when they will provide a full explanation of the reasons behind their decision not to establish an inquiry into the seven outstanding allegations against Sir Edward Heath left open at the end of Operation Conifer.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Government has set out its reasons for not establishing an inquiry into the allegations against Sir Edward Heath most recently on the floor of the House on 11 and 18 December 2018. The Home Secretary also wrote to Lord Armstrong of Ilminster on 10 October 2018 and a copy of this letter was placed in the Library of the House. The Government’s position remains as previously set out: there are no grounds to justify review or intervention by Government.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answers by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 11 October (HL Deb, cols 177–9), what factors have led them to the conclusion that "there are no grounds for the Government to intervene" to instigate an independent inquiry into Operation Conifer.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Under Section 54(2) of the Police Act 1996, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary is charged with inspecting and reporting on the efficiency and effectiveness of every police force maintained for a police area. Any reviews he carries out must be done for this purpose. In its most recent Effectiveness inspection of Wiltshire Police in 2017, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services judged the force to be “good”.
There is no provision in law which would prevent the Government from commissioning an independent inquiry into Operation Conifer but the Government would need a clear justification for doing so. As it is, Operation Conifer has already been subject to considerable external scrutiny: from its own Independent Scrutiny Panel; from Operation Hydrant (which delivers the national policing response, oversight and coordination of non-recent child sexual abuse investigations concerning persons of public prominence), and; from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary which in January 2017 considered whether the resources assigned to the investigation by the Home Office were being deployed in accordance with value for money principles.
On this basis, and given Operation Conifer is an operational matter for the local police force and it is for the locally elected Police and Crime Commissioner to hold their force to account, the Government does not consider there to be grounds for the Government to intervene to instigate an independent inquiry into Operation Conifer.
The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Wiltshire and Swindon wrote to Home Office Ministers on 17 October 2017 and 24 April 2018. A reply from the Minister for Countering Extremism was issued on the 15th December 2017. The PCC has not given the Home Office any indication that he may be prepared to reverse his decision not to conduct an inquiry into Operation Conifer.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answers by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 11 October (HL Deb, cols 177–9), whether they have received any indication from the Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire that he may be prepared to reverse his decision not to conduct an inquiry into Operation Conifer.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Under Section 54(2) of the Police Act 1996, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary is charged with inspecting and reporting on the efficiency and effectiveness of every police force maintained for a police area. Any reviews he carries out must be done for this purpose. In its most recent Effectiveness inspection of Wiltshire Police in 2017, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services judged the force to be “good”.
There is no provision in law which would prevent the Government from commissioning an independent inquiry into Operation Conifer but the Government would need a clear justification for doing so. As it is, Operation Conifer has already been subject to considerable external scrutiny: from its own Independent Scrutiny Panel; from Operation Hydrant (which delivers the national policing response, oversight and coordination of non-recent child sexual abuse investigations concerning persons of public prominence), and; from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary which in January 2017 considered whether the resources assigned to the investigation by the Home Office were being deployed in accordance with value for money principles.
On this basis, and given Operation Conifer is an operational matter for the local police force and it is for the locally elected Police and Crime Commissioner to hold their force to account, the Government does not consider there to be grounds for the Government to intervene to instigate an independent inquiry into Operation Conifer.
The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Wiltshire and Swindon wrote to Home Office Ministers on 17 October 2017 and 24 April 2018. A reply from the Minister for Countering Extremism was issued on the 15th December 2017. The PCC has not given the Home Office any indication that he may be prepared to reverse his decision not to conduct an inquiry into Operation Conifer.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answers by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 11 October (HL Deb, cols 177–9), what communications have taken place between the Home Office and the Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire since Operation Conifer ended.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Under Section 54(2) of the Police Act 1996, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary is charged with inspecting and reporting on the efficiency and effectiveness of every police force maintained for a police area. Any reviews he carries out must be done for this purpose. In its most recent Effectiveness inspection of Wiltshire Police in 2017, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services judged the force to be “good”.
There is no provision in law which would prevent the Government from commissioning an independent inquiry into Operation Conifer but the Government would need a clear justification for doing so. As it is, Operation Conifer has already been subject to considerable external scrutiny: from its own Independent Scrutiny Panel; from Operation Hydrant (which delivers the national policing response, oversight and coordination of non-recent child sexual abuse investigations concerning persons of public prominence), and; from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary which in January 2017 considered whether the resources assigned to the investigation by the Home Office were being deployed in accordance with value for money principles.
On this basis, and given Operation Conifer is an operational matter for the local police force and it is for the locally elected Police and Crime Commissioner to hold their force to account, the Government does not consider there to be grounds for the Government to intervene to instigate an independent inquiry into Operation Conifer.
The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Wiltshire and Swindon wrote to Home Office Ministers on 17 October 2017 and 24 April 2018. A reply from the Minister for Countering Extremism was issued on the 15th December 2017. The PCC has not given the Home Office any indication that he may be prepared to reverse his decision not to conduct an inquiry into Operation Conifer.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answers by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 11 October (HL Deb, cols 177–9), whether there are any provisions in law which would prevent them from conducting an independent inquiry into Operation Conifer.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Under Section 54(2) of the Police Act 1996, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary is charged with inspecting and reporting on the efficiency and effectiveness of every police force maintained for a police area. Any reviews he carries out must be done for this purpose. In its most recent Effectiveness inspection of Wiltshire Police in 2017, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services judged the force to be “good”.
There is no provision in law which would prevent the Government from commissioning an independent inquiry into Operation Conifer but the Government would need a clear justification for doing so. As it is, Operation Conifer has already been subject to considerable external scrutiny: from its own Independent Scrutiny Panel; from Operation Hydrant (which delivers the national policing response, oversight and coordination of non-recent child sexual abuse investigations concerning persons of public prominence), and; from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary which in January 2017 considered whether the resources assigned to the investigation by the Home Office were being deployed in accordance with value for money principles.
On this basis, and given Operation Conifer is an operational matter for the local police force and it is for the locally elected Police and Crime Commissioner to hold their force to account, the Government does not consider there to be grounds for the Government to intervene to instigate an independent inquiry into Operation Conifer.
The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Wiltshire and Swindon wrote to Home Office Ministers on 17 October 2017 and 24 April 2018. A reply from the Minister for Countering Extremism was issued on the 15th December 2017. The PCC has not given the Home Office any indication that he may be prepared to reverse his decision not to conduct an inquiry into Operation Conifer.