Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to take steps to (a) reduce public access to sodium nitrate and (b) raise awareness among suppliers of the potential dangers associated with its misuse.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Poisons Act 1972 sets out the legal obligations in relation to the sale, purchase, and use of explosives precursors and poisons for suppliers, professional users, and members of the public.
The Poisons Act was amended in October 2023 to strengthen controls, and enhance suspicious activity reporting requirements, including new obligations for online marketplaces. As well as the requirement to report suspicious transactions, economic operators supplying any reportable substances must now demonstrate that their personnel are aware about which of their products contain listed substances, and are instructed on their obligations.
Sodium nitrate is a reportable explosives precursor listed in Part 4 of Schedule 1A of the Poisons Act 1972; this means it is lawful to sell this substance in Great Britain without further controls, however suppliers have a legal obligation to report any suspicious transactions.
The Home Office work with retailers and suppliers to raise awareness and emphasise their legal obligation to report suspicious activity for regulated and reportable substances. Government expertise in relation to substances of concern is also shared to inform retailer sales practices. This includes encouraging suppliers to use declaration of use forms for sales of such substances. This work will continue to ensure suppliers are meeting their requirements under the Poisons Act.
As set out in CONTEST, The United Kingdom’s Strategy for Countering Terrorism, the Government is committed to reducing the ability of terrorists to access and use materials and technology of concern. We continue to keep dangerous substances under review to ensure appropriate regulation and controls are in place to keep the public safe.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to introduce additional (a) regulation and (b) monitoring of sodium nitrate further to the provisions within the Poisons Act 1972.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Poisons Act 1972 sets out the legal obligations in relation to the sale, purchase, and use of explosives precursors and poisons for suppliers, professional users, and members of the public.
The Poisons Act was amended in October 2023 to strengthen controls, and enhance suspicious activity reporting requirements, including new obligations for online marketplaces. As well as the requirement to report suspicious transactions, economic operators supplying any reportable substances must now demonstrate that their personnel are aware about which of their products contain listed substances, and are instructed on their obligations.
Sodium nitrate is a reportable explosives precursor listed in Part 4 of Schedule 1A of the Poisons Act 1972; this means it is lawful to sell this substance in Great Britain without further controls, however suppliers have a legal obligation to report any suspicious transactions.
The Home Office work with retailers and suppliers to raise awareness and emphasise their legal obligation to report suspicious activity for regulated and reportable substances. Government expertise in relation to substances of concern is also shared to inform retailer sales practices. This includes encouraging suppliers to use declaration of use forms for sales of such substances. This work will continue to ensure suppliers are meeting their requirements under the Poisons Act.
As set out in CONTEST, The United Kingdom’s Strategy for Countering Terrorism, the Government is committed to reducing the ability of terrorists to access and use materials and technology of concern. We continue to keep dangerous substances under review to ensure appropriate regulation and controls are in place to keep the public safe.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she will consider mandating the use of declaration of use forms for suppliers of sodium nitrate.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Poisons Act 1972 sets out the legal obligations in relation to the sale, purchase, and use of explosives precursors and poisons for suppliers, professional users, and members of the public.
The Poisons Act was amended in October 2023 to strengthen controls, and enhance suspicious activity reporting requirements, including new obligations for online marketplaces. As well as the requirement to report suspicious transactions, economic operators supplying any reportable substances must now demonstrate that their personnel are aware about which of their products contain listed substances, and are instructed on their obligations.
Sodium nitrate is a reportable explosives precursor listed in Part 4 of Schedule 1A of the Poisons Act 1972; this means it is lawful to sell this substance in Great Britain without further controls, however suppliers have a legal obligation to report any suspicious transactions.
The Home Office work with retailers and suppliers to raise awareness and emphasise their legal obligation to report suspicious activity for regulated and reportable substances. Government expertise in relation to substances of concern is also shared to inform retailer sales practices. This includes encouraging suppliers to use declaration of use forms for sales of such substances. This work will continue to ensure suppliers are meeting their requirements under the Poisons Act.
As set out in CONTEST, The United Kingdom’s Strategy for Countering Terrorism, the Government is committed to reducing the ability of terrorists to access and use materials and technology of concern. We continue to keep dangerous substances under review to ensure appropriate regulation and controls are in place to keep the public safe.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will take steps to restrict purchases of sodium nitrate in quantities that (a) pose a significant risk to life and (b) could be used in acts of terrorism.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Poisons Act 1972 sets out the legal obligations in relation to the sale, purchase, and use of explosives precursors and poisons for suppliers, professional users, and members of the public.
The Poisons Act was amended in October 2023 to strengthen controls, and enhance suspicious activity reporting requirements, including new obligations for online marketplaces. As well as the requirement to report suspicious transactions, economic operators supplying any reportable substances must now demonstrate that their personnel are aware about which of their products contain listed substances, and are instructed on their obligations.
Sodium nitrate is a reportable explosives precursor listed in Part 4 of Schedule 1A of the Poisons Act 1972; this means it is lawful to sell this substance in Great Britain without further controls, however suppliers have a legal obligation to report any suspicious transactions.
The Home Office work with retailers and suppliers to raise awareness and emphasise their legal obligation to report suspicious activity for regulated and reportable substances. Government expertise in relation to substances of concern is also shared to inform retailer sales practices. This includes encouraging suppliers to use declaration of use forms for sales of such substances. This work will continue to ensure suppliers are meeting their requirements under the Poisons Act.
As set out in CONTEST, The United Kingdom’s Strategy for Countering Terrorism, the Government is committed to reducing the ability of terrorists to access and use materials and technology of concern. We continue to keep dangerous substances under review to ensure appropriate regulation and controls are in place to keep the public safe.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with police forces on supporting families in relation to criminal cases that have been open for over a decade.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
Under the Victims' Code all victims, including a close relative of a person whose death was directly caused by a criminal offence, are entitled to be referred to support services when they report a crime.
The Ministry of Justice provides Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) with annual grant funding to commission local practical, emotional, and therapeutic support services for victims of all crime types.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking with (a) Europol, (b) Eurojust, (c) French authorities and (d) other international partners to (i) tackle migration challenges and (ii) help reduce deaths in the Channel.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
This government is committed to working with international partners to tackle shared migration challenges and is working across multiple lines of effort to reduce the impact of irregular migration into the UK.
To do this the Home Secretary has launched the new Border Security Command which will provide the strategic direction to mobilise work across agencies, to better protect our borders and go after the smuggling gangs facilitating small boat crossings.
We have made progress; in December 2024 we agreed the Calais Group Priority Plan with key near neighbours and the Joint Action Plan on migration with Germany, and in November 2024, the landmark security agreement with Iraq. Additionally, we have a well-established relationship with our French counterparts and continue to work closely to prevent further dangerous crossings and reduce risk to life at sea.
The UK also continues to support the EU and its agencies and undertakes multiple operations with our European law enforcement partners, coordinated through Europol and Eurojust. The NCA has surged additional officers to Europol, enhancing our efforts to arrest and prosecute criminal smuggling gangs and disrupt their supply chains.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help reduce the number of people who die when crossing the Channel in small boats.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
Criminal gangs only care about the profits they make, not about the lives they put at risk. The Border Security Command is leading the UK’s efforts to disrupt and bring to justice those facilitating illegal migration, including small boats crossings.
Border Force-crewed vessels, directed and coordinated by HM Coastguard, provide a 24/7 response to these dangerous and unnecessary crossings.