To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
Police: Medals
Monday 26th February 2024

Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make it his policy to establish a medal for police officers injured on duty.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

We owe a tremendous gratitude to dedicated police officers for their continued hard work and sacrifice. There is no doubt that police officers who have their service cut short through injury have made, and in many cases will continue to make, an invaluable contribution to the emergency services.

It is right that there are provisions to support police officers who are injured in the line of duty, through the provision of paid leave, the injury benefit scheme and medical retirement where appropriate. Alongside the existing Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, and the King’s Police Medal, work is continuing on an appropriate way to mark the contribution of emergency workers and other public servants who are killed while serving the public. The Government has no plans currently to introduce a medal specifically for police officers who are injured on duty.


Written Question
Metropolitan Police: Airports
Friday 26th January 2024

Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has had discussions with the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police on the use of posters in UK airports requesting information on alleged war crimes in Gaza.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

Police are operationally independent and should remain so.

The Home Secretary meets with the Met Police Commander to discuss a range of issues.


Written Question
Home Office: Interpreters
Thursday 18th January 2024

Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of awarding a pay rise to interpreters working for the Home Office.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

Interpreters are not Home Office employees and undertake freelance work commissioned by the Home Office through contracts for services.

As with other requirements, the Home Office works with specialist suppliers to ensure contracted services are cost effective, and delivered to a high standard, with in-built quality measures. These contracts are regularly reviewed.

The Home Office keeps our costs under constant review, working alongside other government departments, suppliers and representation bodies to promote sustainable and affordable rates.


Written Question
al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades and Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
Monday 16th October 2023

Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to proscribe the (a) Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and (b) al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades.

Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)

Whilst the Government keeps the list of proscribed organisations under careful review, we do not routinely comment on intelligence and security matters, including whether or not an organisation is under consideration for proscription.


Written Question
Police: Buildings
Tuesday 11th July 2023

Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether (a) the local police service or (b) the Exchequer benefits from the sale of former police buildings.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

It is the responsibility of Chief Constables and locally elected Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs), including Mayors who exercise PCC or equivalent functions, to take decisions around their resourcing and estates. They are best placed to make decisions with their communities based on their local knowledge and experience.

Under the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011, PCCs have a functional power to do anything which is calculated to facilitate, or is conducive or incidental to, the exercise of their functions including the acquisition or disposal of property (including land). Capital receipts from the sale of capital assets are retained by the PCC and can be used to repay loan debt or to finance new capital expenditure.


Written Question
Anti-social Behaviour
Monday 3rd July 2023

Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure effective investigations by the police on incidents of antisocial behaviour.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

Mr Speaker, on 27 March, the Government launched the Anti-social Behaviour Action Plan, increasing funding for Police and Crime Commissioners by over £100m.

The Plan will focus on making communities safer, building local pride, prevention, early intervention and improving data, reporting and accountability. These proposals will ensure perpetrators are investigated and punished, helping to restore pride in our communities.


Written Question
Crimes of Violence: Retail Trade
Thursday 29th June 2023

Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with the police on preventing attacks on people working in the retail sector.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government is clear that violence and abuse towards any worker is not acceptable.

The Home Office works closely with retailers and trade organisations and police partners via the National Retail Crime Steering Group (NRCSG) to understand the issues retailers are experiencing. The NRCSG meet twice yearly, and discussions include how to help reduce incidents of violence and abuse towards shop staff, and to support staff when this does occur.

On a national level, we continue to work closely with the police-led National Business Crime Centre (NBCC) to understand the crimes affecting businesses and help ensure businesses and police are working effectively together.

In addition, section 156 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 introduced a statutory aggravating factor for assault against any public facing worker. This ensures the courts treat the public-facing nature of a victim’s role as an aggravating factor when considering the sentence for any assault offence where they consider this factor to be relevant.


Written Question
Crimes of Violence: Retail Trade
Thursday 29th June 2023

Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has held discussions with representatives of the retail sector on preventing attacks on staff working in shops.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government is clear that violence and abuse towards any worker is not acceptable.

The Home Office works closely with retailers and trade organisations and police partners via the National Retail Crime Steering Group (NRCSG) to understand the issues retailers are experiencing. The NRCSG meet twice yearly, and discussions include how to help reduce incidents of violence and abuse towards shop staff, and to support staff when this does occur.

On a national level, we continue to work closely with the police-led National Business Crime Centre (NBCC) to understand the crimes affecting businesses and help ensure businesses and police are working effectively together.

In addition, section 156 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 introduced a statutory aggravating factor for assault against any public facing worker. This ensures the courts treat the public-facing nature of a victim’s role as an aggravating factor when considering the sentence for any assault offence where they consider this factor to be relevant.


Written Question
British Nationality
Wednesday 7th June 2023

Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the High Court decision in R(Roehrig) v SSHD EWHC 31 (Admin) of January 2023, whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to confirm the British citizenship status of people born between January 1983 and October 2000 who are affected by that case.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

We introduced the Nationality (Regularisation of Past Practice) Bill on 24 May 2023 to address this issue.


Written Question
Passports: Applications
Monday 5th June 2023

Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the processing of any passport applications has been paused following the decision in Roehrig v Secretary of State for the Home Department (2023).

Answered by Robert Jenrick

On 24 May we introduced the British Nationality (Regularisation of Past Practice) Bill which will resolve the matter raised and allow HMPO to issue passports to these individuals. HMPO have written to affected customers and will keep them updated.