Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to introduce a nationwide policing strategy to prevent the theft of materials from charging stations.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
Theft, including the theft of cables is a serious issue. This Government recognises the distress and disruption that theft and vandalism can cause, not only to businesses, but also to local communities and critical infrastructure.
The Home Office provided initial funding to establish the National Infrastructure Crime Reduction Partnership. The Partnership ensures national co-ordination of policing and law enforcement partners to tackle metal theft. It also provides training to police officers to help with tackling metal theft, and facilitates data and intelligence sharing to partners to target offenders and implement crime prevention measures.
The Home Office will also continue to support the extensive work undertaken by the British Transport Police in partnership with organisations such as Network Rail to further improve the enforcement response to metal theft. This includes supporting the Metal Crime Steering Group led by the National Police Chiefs Council lead for metal theft, Assistant Chief Constable Charlie Doyle, whose aim is to disrupt those involved in this area of crime.
The Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 was introduced to reduce metal theft by strengthening regulation of the scrap metal industry. Enforcement of the Act is key to reducing metal theft. Following the introduction of the Act, there was an overall downward trend in metal-related theft offences. The latest figures for the year ending March 2024 are 64% lower than in the previous year.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to review the Government's guidance on police use of water cannons.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not issue guidance on police use of water cannons.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate she has made of the number of people without work visas who are working in the building sector.
Answered by Robert Jenrick - Shadow Secretary of State for Justice
The Home Office does not have an estimate of the number of people working illegally specifically on app-based work platforms.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Home Office:
[EU edit] To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the updated harms assessment by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs on nitrous oxide, published on 7 March 2023, when she plans to respond to its findings; what assessment she has made of the potential merits of specifically proscribing nitrous oxide; and whether it is her policy to support the other recommendations in that report.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) published their report on nitrous oxide on 6 March, setting out the evidence as it currently stands and made seven recommendations.
The Government will consider the ACMD advice carefully along with any other available evidence, as appropriate, and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what consideration she has given to using the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 to ban the misuse of nitrous oxide.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
On 3 September 2021, the Government asked the independent statutory advisory body, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), to provide an updated assessment of the harms of nitrous oxide, including advice on whether it should be controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The ACMD is independent of Government and can provide a broad range of recommendations, including advice on regulatory or legislative changes. The Government will consider the ACMD advice carefully along with any other evidence, including that relating to any potential legislative or regulatory options beyond control under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, as appropriate, before deciding how to proceed.